Ottawa, Ontario, March 31, 2008… As the regulator of registered charities in Canada under the Income Tax Act, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) wants charitable donors to be informed. The CRA suggests that, to avoid fraud, donors sh hould learn and confirm before donating, and then take action.
Learn and confirm
- Confirm that a charity that claims to be registered with the CRA is in fact registered. Consult the CRA Charities Listings at www.cra.gc.ca/donors or call 1-800-267-2384.
- Confirm that you will receive an official donation receipt if you want to claim a tax credit.
- Make sure you know who you are donating to. Sometimes fraudulent charities use names that are similar to well-known and respected charities.
- Beware of schemes that promise you tax savings greater than your donation, which would let you profit from donating to a registered charity.
Take action
- Write cheques payable to the charity, not to an individual. Make sure that your online payments are secure.
- Refuse to donate if there are signs of fraud, such as inappropriate pressure to give immediately or being offered a receipt for more than you actually donate.
- Report fraud to PhoneBusters, the Canadian Anti-fraud Call Centre, at 1-888-495-8501.
To share these messages and other helpful information, the CRA has developed a donor Web site that incl udes information on regulating charities, donating wisely, and using the searchable listing of Canadian registered charities. The CRA encourages donors to use these resources in order to reduce their risk of fraud. For more information, visit www.cra.gc.ca/donors or call 1-800-267-2384.
March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada and around the world. Visit www.phonebusters.com to learn more about the dangers of fraud, and how you can r ecognize it, report it, and stop it.
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