Lately I’ve been getting a ton of charity calls on my cell phone, so I wanted to remind you all of a few points to keep in mind when dealing with charity calls.
1. If the call comes in as unknown don’t always assume the charity is fake. Do ask for more information, and do check it out yourself.
2. Don’t ever agree to give money over the phone even if you think you’re dealing with a reputable charity. Some scams sound very legit, and some reputable charities use telemarketing services that will take over 80% of the donation as their cut before the money ever reaches the charity.
3. I’ve had this one happen a lot. If the caller starts to get rude because you refuse to donate money over the phone simply ask to be removed from their calling list and state that you prefer to donate through the mail, online, or in person. If the caller continues to be rude hang up. This goes for other types of solicitation calls as well. I have vowed never to buy anything from a solicitation call, especially those trying to sell me alarm services and fencing. We get those calls all the time, and I tell them I personally would rather drive halfway across the country to buy from houston fence company than subject myself to a possible scam and rudeness.
4. Ask the caller to mail you more information. If the caller gives some excuse as to why they can’t mail info there is a good chance the call is a scam.
5. Keep in mind charity calls are exempt from the Do Not Call List, but if the charity continues to solicit calls through a third party telemarketer after you’ve asked them to remove your number from their list you can still report the calls as a violation. If you believe the caller is conducting a scam please report it!
