Oregon Provides Five Tips for a Wise Shopping and Giving Holiday Season

It is the holiday season—one of the busiest and, hopefully, one of the most enjoyable times of year! It is also a time to be especially careful with your money, as scam artists are also busy, and the ongoing pandemic may give them added opportunities to do their dirty work.

With that in mind, here’s some advice from Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum on how to navigate events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday safely and enjoyably.

“Your money is hard-earned,” said Attorney General Rosenblum. “You want to put it to good use — and not have others trick you out of it. I suggest shopping early, shopping local, and giving only to charities registered with my agency, the Oregon Department of Justice. Even then, only spend or give your money to businesses and organizations you know and trust. This year, we have the added stress of shipping delays and backordered items, which gives scammers additional ways to take advantage of you–especially by tricking you into thinking they can get that package here sooner or get you that ‘out-of-stock’ or ‘sold out’ gift item.”

Five tips for savvy shopping and wise giving this holiday season:

Tip 1: Avoid buying items that will never arrive.

There are all sorts of sophisticated ways to make you think you’re buying “the perfect gift.” Scammers can figure out how to interrupt your searches with bogus offerings and seemingly good prices. You go to the site, put the item in your cart, and click the “buy” button. BUT: You don’t get a tracking number; the package never arrives; and the seller disappears with your money.

When this happens, you’ve fallen victim to a “non-delivery scam.” To avoid being victimized this way, stick to reputable retailers. Try to avoid merchants with whom you’re unfamiliar. If you’re shopping with a new merchant, check to confirm that the merchant has a physical address, a customer service phone number, and a professional-looking site.

Warning signs of scammers include poor spelling, odd design, and slow loading. PLEASE NOTE: Only buy from secure sites with (a) SSL encryption » and (b) a lock symbol at the beginning of the site’s URL. Secure sites will have https in their URL — rather than http. Paying attention to this difference can save you a lot of trouble.

Tip 2: Watch out for messages about an item you never ordered.

In this scam, you get an email or other message telling you there’s an issue with an item you ordered. But you don’t recognize the item and know you never ordered it. The message may be a phishing email meant to trick you into clicking a suspect link, providing your bank login credentials, or turning over other private information. If you are unsure if a message is legitimate, contact the business directly — through their website, chat, or customer service phone number. Do not respond to the message unless and until you’ve ascertained it’s legitimate.

Tip 3: When making year-end donations: Do your research and only give to registered charities.

There are over 22,000 registered charities in Oregon. The Oregon Department of Justice Charitable Activities Section is responsible for supervising and regulating all charitable organizations within Oregon. So before you give, check the Oregon Department of Justice charity database to learn more about specific charities, and to be certain they are registered with the state. You can also use this site to file an online complaint about a charity or to obtain copies of its financial records.

Tip 4: Be wary if solicitations for donations seem aggressive.

Resist high-pressure appeals for donations. To maintain the most control over your giving and your spending, it’s best for you to initiate the contact with a charity, or an online store—not the other way around. No legitimate organization will insist that you donate immediately

Tip 5: Think twice about crowdfunding sites like, GoFundMe.

Not all gifts are tax-deductible. Only gifts to charities that have IRS 501(c)(3) status are tax-deductible. Gifts to individuals through GoFundMe and similar platforms are not tax-deductible. On top of that, they may not be refundable. If you do want to make a tax-deductible donation, check the IRS website » to ensure your gift is to a qualified organization. Make sure the charity provides a written confirmation or an emailed receipt of your donation. Then keep that for your records.

For additional tips about giving, please visit DOJ’s Wise Giving Guide.  If you have questions or concerns about a charity or a solicitation, please file a complaint online or call the Charitable Activities Section at 971-673-1880. Email: charitable.activities@doj.state.or.us

Acting Attorney General For New Jersey Announces Proposed Charities Regulation

On July 1, 2021, in Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta, 141 S.Ct. 2373 (2021), the United States Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a California regulation requiring charitable organizations to file with the state Attorney General’s Office a copy of their Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 990 Schedule B (Schedule B) when renewing their annual registrations. Schedule B is a form that requires tax-exempt organizations to disclose the names and addresses of major donors. 

In light of the United States Supreme Court’s decision, the Division’s Charities Registration Section has proposed to revise its rules to eliminate the requirement that charities submit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 990 Schedule B as part of their initial and yearly registrations. In the interim, the Division will not be taking enforcement action based on the failure to include Schedule B or an equivalent donor schedule in such registrations. The Division will deem any entities that were previously deemed non-compliant solely because they failed to submit Schedule B or an equivalent donor schedule to be in compliance with registration requirements. All other regulations at N.J.A.C. 13:48-1.1 et seq. remain in effect and the Division continues to require the submission of all other schedules and statements.

The proposed regulation, and information on how to submit a comment by December 17, 2021 can be viewed here.

Attorney General Moody Highlights Nearly Half a Million Dollars Secured for Nonprofits Following Shutdown of National Charity Telefunding Operation

Attorney General Ashley Moody is highlighting nearly half a million dollars secured for nonprofits this year following a successful court action against an unlawful charity robocall scheme. Through a court action earlier this year, Associated Community Services, its sister companies and owners were ordered to pay almost $500,000 in charitable contributions. In Tampa today, Attorney General Moody ceremoniously presented one of these payments to a veteran representing the Semper Fi & America’s Fund.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This deceptive charity robocall scheme purported to help veterans, first responders and cancer patients but instead ripped off generous Floridians and donors nationwide. As Florida’s Attorney General, I am committed to holding accountable those who target and exploit the kindness of others for their own financial gain. It is my pleasure to redirect these funds to court approved organizations that work to provide resources to those in need.”

Semper Fi & America’s Fund CEO, President and Founder Karen Guenther said, “We are incredibly grateful for the hard work of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and this amazing donation that will impact the lives of many military heroes under our care. This special donation will be matched dollar for dollar through our annual Double Down for Veterans campaign with The Bob and Renee Parsons Foundation to provide critical funding for our combat wounded, critically ill and injured service members, military family members, and veterans, from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. This outpouring of support is truly humbling and deeply appreciated by everyone in The Fund family.”

The funding is the result of previous legal action taken by Attorney General Moody, along with the Federal Trade Commission and agencies from 37 other states and the District of Columbia. The coalition worked together to shut down the massive telefunding operation that bombarded 67 million consumers with more than one billion deceptive charitable fundraising robocalls.

As a result of the coordinated action, $495,000 was recovered and redistributed to the American Cancer Society, Semper Fi & America’s Fund and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The money will be used to assist with cancer treatment and to help military service members, first responders and their families.

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Former Autism School Administrator Sentenced to Jail for Theft

The former executive director of the P.A.T.H. School for Autism, Inc. and the P.A.T.H. Academy for Autism, Ltd. has been sentenced to 90 days in jail after a joint investigation by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, the Bryan Police Department, and the Ohio Department of Education found she stole more than $150,000 from the school.

Bonnie Kimpling, 53, of Chicago, was sentenced for one count of Aggravated Theft, a third-degree felony, in Williams County Common Pleas Court. In addition to jail time, she was sentenced to five years of community control, fined $2,500 and ordered to pay approx. $32,269 in restitution.

Kimpling was also given a 2-year prison term if she fails to meet the terms of her probation.

“This school’s mission was to work alongside parents to educate children facing difficult obstacles, not to get rich off of them,” Yost said. “This thief not only let down kids, she left a hole in this community.”

The P.A.T.H. School was shuttered after Kimpling was terminated and indicted in 2020 for the theft.

Yost’s Charitable Law Section and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, assisted in the investigation. Williams County Prosecutor Katherine Zartman prosecuted Kimpling.

P.A.T.H. Schools was among the nonprofits operating in Ohio whose operations are overseen by the Attorney General’s Office. AG Yost offers several resources and guides for charities, including proper oversight of finances as well as how to report improper actions by a charity.