Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings a wave of appeals for donations to breast cancer charities. The Better Business Bureau advises consumers to carefully research charities and associated products before donating or purchasing a Pink-Ribbon product.
“Breast cancer is a serious threat to the health of both women and men,” said Michelle L. Corey, president and CEO of BBB St. Louis. But some fraudulent charities may try to cash in on the pink ribbon frenzy, so donors should do their homework before donating or buying pink-ribbon products.
Some charities have names that sound like well-known breast cancer charities, so it’s a good idea to look up the charities on the BBB website before donating.
Over the past three years, 23 charity scams involving cancer have been reported to the BBB Scam Tracker, out of 630 charity scams reported during the same period. In one scam reported in August 2020, several Pacific, Missouri, church members received text messages from a scammer impersonating their pastor asking for Amazon gift cards.
In addition, many companies produce products that claim to support cancer charities. The BBB advises consumers to check products carefully to determine how much they support a charity and whether the charity meets BBB standards. Additional Tips:
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Check the product for information. Many companies clearly report on accounts how much of their sales go to charity and specifically where the money goes.
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Check out the company’s website. If the information is not on the product itself, it can usually be found at the web address printed on the product packaging.
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If you still can’t find the information, call the company and ask. Organizations that use philanthropic ties to market their products must be transparent to consumers.
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If you are in doubt about whether you are receiving income, contact the charity directly.
Tips for avoiding charity scams:
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Beware of appeals that are long on emotion but short on charity details.
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If you contribute, don’t give cash. Make a check or money order payable to the charity, not the individual collecting the donation.
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Expect excessive pressure for on-site donations. Beware of any request to send a “runner” to pick up your contribution.
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Beware of charities that do not want to answer reasonable questions about their work, funding and programs. Ask how much of your gift will be used for the activity identified in the appeal, and how much will go toward other programs and administrative and fundraising costs.
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Before doing business with a charity or company, check out the BBB Business Profile or BBB Charity Review
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BBB encourages individuals to give, but give wisely.
