Online Threat Alerts (OTA) - Alerting you to scams and frauds.

Pinkwashing Scams - Breast Cancer Donation or Charity Rip-offs
Pinkwashing Scams - Breast Cancer Donation or Charity Rip-offs

Breast Cancer Awareness campaigns, which take place in October every year, were created to help raise money to help find the cure for the deadly disease or provide treatments for persons battling the disease. But, some persons, businesses and groups are exploiting the awareness campaigns. Some persons, businesses and groups are selling pink products in the name of National Breast Cancer Awareness month, but are not giving the money earned from the items sold to Breast Cancer charity or research; they are Pinkwashing instead.

What is Pinkwashing?

Pinkwashing is where companies, individuals or groups claim they are supporting the fight of the disease, usually during breast cancer awareness month(October), but never actually donate money collected for the charity. They use the opportunity to get you to buy their products in the name of Breast Cancer research or charity, claiming the proceeds will go to a charity, but never donate the money collected.

Tips to Help Protect You Against Charity Scams

  • Inspect the product for information. Many companies clearly report on labels how much of their sales go to charity and specifically where the money goes.
  • Check the company’s website. If the information isn’t on the product itself, it often can be found at the website address printed on the product packaging.
  • Contact the charity directly if you have doubts they are receiving proceeds.
  • Be wary of appeals that are long on emotion, but short on describing what the charity will do.
  • If you contribute, do not give cash. Make a check or money order out to the name of the charitable organization, not to the individual collecting the donation.
  • Consumers can find reports on charities at www.give.org.

Protect yourself and your loves ones from such mastermind schemes.

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