Following recent events in the Ukraine, we have seen the global community come together to offer help, support and aid to those in need. However, with this, there’s been a worrying surge in fraud cases and people being deceived into giving to fraudulent organisations posing as real charities and causes.
Here’s some advice for how to avoid being targeted by crowdfunding and donation scams.
Be Wary
Stay vigilant and always be wary of unsolicited donation requests – you should never respond to or click on links that ask for personal or financial details.
Carry Out Research
Before making any donations, it is important to carry out your own research to ensure the organisation requesting the donation is genuine, particularly if prompted to do so by unsolicited emails and texts.
Don’t Be Pressured
If you’re feeling rushed or pressured into making a donation, take a step back and ask the question – is this genuine? A legitimate charity or organisation would never pressure you into anything.
Don’t Give Out Personal Details
Never give out credit card information to unfamiliar organisations and be cautious of the information they are requesting.
Beware of Donation Requests
Be wary of donation requests in the form of money transfers or gift cards, these are unlikely to be genuine.
Navigate To Trusted Websites
Rather than relying on a shared link, QR code, social media post or communication via email or text message, it is always recommended to navigate to the website of the charity they are claiming to be. If you still want to donate or offer some form of aid, do so via this trusted source.
When it comes to MuchBetter, remember we will only ever ask you to login via the app – never a desktop app or mobile web browser. You should also never share your passcode, one-time password or SMS pin to anyone, or on any platform that is not the official MuchBetter app, downloaded directly from GooglePlay or AppStore.
