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How to donate safely.

During a disaster, you may be inspired to give to those in need. Unfortunately, fraudsters can take advantage of those who want to help. Before you give, we recommend following these simple steps to ensure your donation is safe and secure.

  • Make sure a charity is legitimate by visiting charitynavigator.org, charitywatch.org, or give.org to verify its authenticity.

  • Do not give your credit card number to a telephone solicitor or someone you don’t know via email or text message. Always contact the charity directly to make sure the request is legitimate.

  • Don’t be pressured to make an on-the-spot donation. Most charities will accept your donation at any time, which will give you time to research the charity’s legitimacy.

  • Be wary of charities that seem to have sprung up overnight in connection with a current disaster.

  • Never click on links or open attachments in an email unless you know who sent it. Opening an attachment—even in an email that appears to be from friends or family—can install malware on your computer.

  • Keep antivirus and other computer software up-to-date.

For more information, visit RCU’s security center.