We saw an influx of charity scams recently in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the Las Vegas massacre and the California wildfires.

Now we’re approaching the holidays—a prime time for this type of scam to strike again.

Before donating to any charity, be aware of the signs of a scam and how to protect yourself and your donation:

1. They Use Pressure Tactics To Make You Hand Over Money…Fast!

Conning charities try to get you to donate immediately, without giving you time to research them. They might also refuse to tell you the details: its mission, identity, cost or how your donation will be used.

Before donating, be aware that scammers set up fake charities to collect donations for themselves from compassionate people like you.

This fake charity raised millions

Cancer Fund of America (second on a list of the worst charities by the Center for Investigative Reporting) operated a network of charities that scammed donors into believing their contributions were going toward care packages for cancer patients. The Cancer Fund kept millions to themselves, while giving “less than 2 cents of every dollar raised” to patients or families.