VIDEO: AG Moody Encourages Wise Giving During ICAFW

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is encouraging wise giving during International Charity Fraud Awareness Week. With the pandemic, natural disasters and other recent tragedies, more charity campaigns and requests for support seem to be cropping up on social media. ICFAW is an annual event that focuses on teaching charitable donors how to avoid scams, spot fraudulent charities, guard against identity theft and ensure that donations go to intended causes.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “As a fifth-generation Floridian, I am proud to live in a state where people are quick to help others during their time of need. There are so many good charitable organizations in Florida, but there are also some ill-intentioned scammers looking to take advantage of donors. In recognition of International Charity Fraud Awareness Week, I am asking Floridians to do their research and take steps to ensure their donations are going to an organization that will use the funds as stated, and not to a scammer exploiting generous donors.”

Attorney General Moody offers the following recommendations to Floridians looking to donate to a charity:

• Check Give.org to determine if there are any complaints against a charity;
• Use a credit card when possible for added protection;
• Be careful when providing any personal contact and financial information and don’t click on links or email attachments from an unknown solicitor;
• Be wary of organizations that pressure donors into giving; and
• Verify the name of the charity before giving. Some phony charities use names that resemble legitimate, well-known charities to trick donors.

In January, Attorney General Moody recovered funds from a sham veterans charity based in Palm Harbor. The multistate investigation revealed that the charity falsely promised to use donations to help wounded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan receive medical treatment. For more information, click here.

In August, Attorney General Moody announced that payments nearing half a million dollars were sent to nonprofits following a successful court action against an unlawful, charity-fundraising robocall scheme. Through the court action, Associated Community Services, its sister companies and owners paid almost $500,000 in charitable contributions. For more information, click here.

Additional tips and information regarding charity fraud and other scams can be found on Attorney General Moody’s Consumer Alert webpage—MyFloridaLegal.com/ConsumerAlert.

Floridians can report charity scams to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or visiting MyFloridaLegal.com.