Christmas is a time when many people want to give back to their community with a donation to charity, but before opening your own wallet it is important to ensure your chosen cause is a legitimate one.
So far this year, there have been nearly 800 reports and more than $172,000 in losses across Australia to scammers posing as charitable organisations, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's ScamWatch service.
You might be approached to donate with a knock on the door, in a shopping centre, over the phone or online, but the rules are the same - any organisation collecting money or goods from the public for a charitable purpose must be licensed under the Charitable Collections Act, administered by Consumer Protection.
You can check that a charity or not-for-profit organisation is licensed to collect funds from the WA public by referring to the licensed charity register on our website. The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) also maintains a public register
