WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: HOW CANCER CHARITY SCAMS WORK

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: HOW CANCER CHARITY SCAMS WORK

Cancers collectively cause some 8 million deaths per year worldwide. The diverse nature of cancer emphasizes the importance of research in winning against this disease. Hence, organizations have started popping up with the sole purpose of raising money for cancer research and/or for aid directed towards cancer patients. With funds constantly flowing in for the fight against cancer, some cancer charity scams are bound to come up – all with the sole purpose of tapping into some of that resource.

Allocating a part of your hard-earned financial resources towards a good cause is never a bad thing. It is, however, imperative for you to ensure that all your good intentions go through the right channels. Essentially, protecting yourself from charity scams entails knowing how they work and the precautionary measures you should take prior to reaching out.

HOW CANCER CHARITY SCAMS WORK

Cancer charities are basically a form of business: a part of the income they have gets allocated towards their expenses and anything left over gets channeled to their cause. Many cancer charities end up becoming scams due to a bad “business model.” While their initial intentions may be good, their lack of financial and business management skills lead to outrageous expenses, leaving little for actual charity.

Other charity scams, on the other hand, basically aim to phish. This is especially true for online or phone solicitations. The effects of falling into the trap of phishers can lead to a number of consequences, ranging from spamming (best case scenario) to identity theft (worst case scenario).

BASIC STEPS ON HOW TO AVOID CANCER CHARITY SCAMS

1. Do your research.

The internet, in this case, becomes both your best friend and worst enemy. Check the track record of the charitable organization you have in mind, but make sure you’re doing it right – opt for information that are available on government sites (such as taxation), and be wary of overly positive feedback found on privately registered pages.

2. Be wary of giving up too much information.

This is a must for all transactions done over the internet. Never give up private information, especially if the emails/phone calls you receive are entirely unsolicited.

3. Drop off your donations personally.

Charitable organizations with a physical office or center almost always indicate legitimacy. Dropping off your donations personally not only helps ensure that your donations get where you want them to, but it also gives you the chance to know more about the organization. If individual solicitors come to you personally for your donations, never shell out hard, cold cash – a check written directly for the charity in mind is definitely a much better option.

4. Better safe than sorry

If you remain uncertain of the track record or the legitimacy of an organization, then just pass up on the opportunity to help. There will always be other (and better!) opportunities to contribute in the future, so you need not beat yourself up about it.

Cancer research has gone a long way due to the help of the many people who have directed funds towards it. Nevertheless, you can still do your share in helping others fight this major killer disease in many ways other than just through money. Offering your time and presence can not only protect you from scams, but they also help you get into the spirit of giving back to society even more so than writing a check.