Checklists for Safe Practices

Concrete verification steps before donating, hiring, or trusting an unfamiliar business.

Before you donate to a charity

  1. Look it up on Charity Navigator or the BBB Wise Giving Alliance — both publish real financial breakdowns of how much reaches programs vs overhead.
  2. Confirm 501(c)(3) status on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (irs.gov) if you want the donation to be tax-deductible.
  3. Be wary of names that closely mimic a well-known charity — this is a common tactic after disasters specifically because real relief organizations are trending in the news.

Before you hire a contractor

Verify the business license number through your state's Secretary of State or contractor licensing board search (name varies by state). Confirm liability insurance directly with the insurer, not just by taking the contractor's word — ask for the insurer's phone number and call to confirm coverage is active.

Protecting an elderly relative

The FTC's "Pass It On" program specifically recommends: agree in advance on a family code word for emergency-money requests, since scammers impersonating a grandchild in distress rely on urgency preventing verification. Register the relative's number on donotcall.gov and consider a call-blocking device certified for landlines if robocalls are frequent.

Romance scam warning signs

  • Professes love quickly, then has a sudden emergency requiring money — a documented, consistent pattern in FTC romance-scam data.
  • Avoids video calls or always has a reason the camera doesn't work.
  • Asks for payment via gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency specifically — these are the same payment methods flagged across nearly all scam categories because they're hard to reverse.

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