Do Research Before Donating To Breast Cancer Charities or Buying Pink Ribbon Products
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 16 – Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings with it a wave of appeals to donate to breast cancer charities. Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises consumers to research charities and cause-related products carefully before making a donation or buying a pink-ribbon product.
According to estimates by the American Cancer Society, more than 271,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year, and more than 42,000 people will die from the disease.
“Breast cancer is a serious threat to the health of women as well as men,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. “But some fraudulent charities might try to cash in on the pink ribbon frenzy, so donors should do their homework before they make a donation or buy a pink-ribbon product.”
BBB offers Charity Reviews of more than 11,000 charities nationwide, including several BBB Accredited Charities that support cancer research or provide support to cancer survivors. Some charities have names that resemble well-known breast cancer charities, so it’s a good idea to check charities out on BBB’s website before making a donation.
In the last three years, 126 charity scams involving cancer have been reported to BBB Scam Tracker, out of more than 900 charity scams reported over the same period.
