Action Line: Before you give, check out those door-to-door solicitors

A reader: Today I had a knock at my door. It was a man saying that he was with The Salvation Army. He said he was sent by my doctor to make sure that I was taking my medications properly. Well, I didn’t let him in. I’m a senior citizen and I am very careful about that.

He continued to talk to me and before the conversation was over he was asking for donations. I didn’t give him any money, either. I’m not even sure he was with the Salvation Army. What do you think?

Action Line: Thank you for being cautious about who you welcome into your home. You can’t be too careful these days. I’m also quite certain that your doctor would never send a stranger to check on you to make sure that you were taking your medications properly. If your doctor does, you may want to find a new one.

Terry Skelton of the corporate offices at The Salvation Army confirmed that although they do accept donations, they do not go door to door. They will come pick up items donated by you if you request a pickup. Some of the items they regularly look for are money, appliances, automobiles, household goods, clothing, books, sofas and suits. You can call or go online to donate or schedule a pickup.

The Federal Trade Commission tells us to watch out for these signs of charity scams, and that you should avoid any charity or fundraiser that:

▪ Refuses to provide detailed information about its identity, mission, costs and how the donation will be used.

▪ Won’t provide proof that a contribution is tax deductible.

▪ Uses a name that closely resembles that of a better-known, reputable organization.

▪ Thanks you for a pledge you don’t remember making.

▪ Uses high-pressure tactics like trying to get you to donate immediately, without giving you time to think about it and do your research.

▪ Asks for donations in cash or asks you to wire money.

▪ Offers to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect the donation immediately.

▪ Guarantees sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution. By law, you never have to give a donation to be eligible to win a sweepstakes.

BBB advises consumers who experience door-to-door solicitations of any kind to:

▪ Ask for identification and information even if the company name they are using is familiar.

▪ Call the charity or company directly to see if they solicit door to door for donations or anything else.

▪ Don’t give out your bank information or credit card number if you are not 100% sure they are who they say they are.

▪ You may also want to check with your city government offices. Your city may have an ordinance that does not allow door-to-door solicitations.

▪ If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If you think you have been the victim of a scam, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and report it to Scamtracker at www.bbb.org/scamtracker

This story was originally published October 5, 2015 at 8:01 AM with the headline "Action Line: Before you give, check out those door-to-door solicitors."