Texans are big-hearted, and anytime a community is impacted by disaster, neighbors are there to help.
Giving to charitable causes during difficult times is important, and there are steps you can take when giving money or services to those impacted by tragedy to make sure your charitable dollars go to intended recipients and legitimate causes.
Follow theses best practices to avoid scams when giving to charitable causes:
- Do not wire money or confirm financial or personal information, including bank account, credit card, or Social Security numbers.
- Give through legitimate charitable funding platforms like GoFundMe that have committed to banning fraudsters.
- CharityWatch, formerly known as The American Institute of Philanthropy, is a charity watchdog group which helps donors make informed choices.
- Guidestar gathers data on millions of IRS-recognized non-profits.
- Do not trust a name or phone number. Scammers often use fake names and phone numbers to disguise their identity and area code.
Organizations that can help you research charities
These organizations offer reports and ratings about how charitable organizations spend donations and how they conduct business:
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You can also put your number on the Texas Do Not Call Registry (by visiting www.TexasNoCall.com or by calling toll-free at 1-888-309-0600) and the National Do Not Call Registry (by visiting www.donotcall.gov or by calling toll-free at 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236)).
If something doesn’t feel right, don’t respond, click or take action. If you have a question about your Members Choice account call us directly at 281.398.9900. Our Member Service Representatives will always welcome a callback to our main line to help you with your account.
And as always, if you don't recognize a transaction on your debit card or account, timely notification is important. Please review the card disputes and fraud claim page for more information.
If you feel that you have received a suspicious communication about your Members Choice account, please contact us immediately at 281.398.9900. We’re here to help.
