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The increase of scams continues to attempt to separate good-hearted people from their money. Scammers know most people, regardless of their country of origin, are good-hearted people, and they cannot resist taking advantage of tragedies to devise a scheme that will allow them access to your money. We at Sage Investigations, LLC know there are scam organizations approaching Americans and others worldwide. Scammers have perfected romance schemes, account take over schemes, identity theft, and they have now created charity scams around the Russia/Ukraine war. Charity scams are not new to scammers. However, the war has opened people’s hearts up to give their money to the cause more than ever, and the scammers are looking to seize this opportunity.
We can give to good organizations without being scammed by conducting a little due diligence- it goes a long way. The Federal Trade Commission (www.consumer.ftc.gov) has a vast array of data to help identify scams and methods and means to overcome them.
The IRS allows the citizenry to view Forms 990 filed by Nonprofit organizations by an online search at https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search. Be patient; the processing of the Forms 990 during the COVID 19 pandemic is behind and still processing from April 2020 to the present.
Most new nonprofit organizations have not been processed by the Exempt Organization staff of the IRS, and the shortage of IRS process employees and agents is dire. When it is time to make an intelligent decision about contributing to a charity or receiving a timely refund, it is best to be informed.
To help you avoid being scammed and give with confidence, visit www.charitynavigator.org. They tell you about all nonprofit charities, where they rate financially, and their accountability & transparency. They are the world’s most trusted nonprofit evaluator. You can find such organizations as Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF USA, World Central Kitchen, Heart to Heart International, Save the Children, Handicap International, dba Humanity & Inclusion, ShelterBox USA, and many more.
If you want to help people affected by the war in Ukraine, do not give to anyone approaching you because it will likely be a scammer, do your homework and donate safely. If you need help doing this, contact Sage Investigations, LLC. We are here to help.
If your law firm requires a private investigator or forensic accountant regarding an identity theft or identity fraud matter, contact Chief Investigator Edmond Martin of Sage Investigations, LLC at 512-659-3179 or email him at edmartin@sageinvestigations.com. We offer a free 20-minute consult. Visit our website at www.Sageinvestigations.com. Click to read about our team and their CVs.
