Breast Cancer Scam - How Not to Fall for It

Breast Cancer Scam - How Not to Fall for It

Anyone who has been touched, even peripherally from the horrible condition known as breast cancer is forever changed by it. Whether it was a mother, daughter, sister, friend, or even distant relative, the toll it takes on the individual and family can be devastating. The whole it can leave behind is one that's drastic enough for blockbuster movie actresses to take drastic action in hopes of avoiding putting her children through the experience of watching their mother struggle with, and possibly succumb, to the cancer. Sadly, for many people who would otherwise be happy to donate their money to such a worthy cause, ending breast cancer, it only takes one breast cancer scam to ruin all potentially worthy causes in their books.

As citizens of the world, we want to help eliminate breast cancer and the impact it has on people and families throughout the United States and around the world. Nothing would please us more than to see this disease that destroys families, confidence, and, sometimes, lives stamped out once and for all. To make that happen, charitable donations are necessary. That's why it's so important take steps to avoid becoming the victim of a breast cancer scam.

Donate Smarter - Research the Reputation of the Charitable Organization

There are countless charities out there that are legitimately seeking research dollars to fund a cure, toiletries to make hospital stays a little more comfortable, hair for lifelike wigs, and countless other items and dollars designed to make life more comfortable, more enjoyable, and a little bit fuller for breast cancer sufferers. Take your time to find out all the pertinent details about the organization you're considering offering your support to. Once you know what kind of work they do, who benefits most from the dollars you give, and how those dollars are likely to be spent, you'll feel more confident about your decisions to give to that organization.

The more you dig, the more likely it is that you will find something questionable about the organization if it exists. Most scams don't have the time, the expertise, or the depth to provide too much of a history to go along with the con.

Gather the Facts

Transparency is important for all charitable organizations -- especially when it comes to Uncle Sam. They must fill out certain tax information, specifically the 990 form in order to keep the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) off their backs. This form provides a great deal of information would-be investors, such as yourself will find useful and even interesting about the organization and where it spends its money.

In addition to keeping Uncle Sam happily at bay, most legitimate charity organizations want to get the word out about the work they do with the money you share with them. In order to do this, many of them offer full disclosure of how funds are spent on their web pages and invite visitors to get involved whether it's by donating time or money to the cause.

Investigate Independent Reviews

Look outside the box and away from their own PR testimonials. See what people are saying away from the website about the organization. If you're hearing mostly good things on the street, then it's probably a safe bet for your charitable investment and you can quit worrying so much about a breast cancer scam knocking on your back door.

Charitable giving is one way that we have to feel like we're doing something important to help people suffering from breast cancer. It's our way of taking power back from something that leaves us feeling powerless. Constant concerns of breast cancer scams can rob us of that joy if we aren't careful. Arm yourself with the facts and you shouldn't have any trouble finding an authentic and legitimate organization, such as Breast Cancer Society at breast cancer society blog, for your charity spending.