It is the
nature of Queenslanders to be there for others, to give to those who need it
but unfortunately there are also people out there looking to make a quick buck
under the guise of charity.
These
scams not only cost you money, they also divert much needed donations away from
legitimate charities and causes.
The
Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie has warned that charity scams operate in a
number of different ways so it is important to be able to identify the
difference between a genuine charity and a scammer.
Generally,
if you are approached on the street the scammer will not have any
identification, will put pressure on you to donate and won’t give you a
receipt.
If it is
an online charity scam, it usually operates via a fake website which is likely
to be a very close replica to a legitimate charity site.
The
Attorney-General encourages all Queenslanders to continue to give this season,
but make sure the charity is the real deal.
Some tips
to help protect yourself from scammers include:
·
Approach
charity organisations directly
·
Only give
out your personal, credit card or online account details when you initiate
contact
·
Ask to
see identification if you are approached
·
Check
whether a charity or appeal has authorisation by conducting a free search on
the Office of Fair Trading website at www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au
·
Delete
any suspicious emails
·
Contact
your bank or financial institution immediately if you think you have provided
your account details to a scammer
Any
organisation that wishes to publicly fundraise in Queensland must be registered
as a charity or sanctioned community purpose organisation.
You can check
whether a charity or appeal has authorisation by conducting a free search on
the Office of Fair Trading website at www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au
For more
information on charities and appeals click here or call 13 QGOV (13 74 68).
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