(KAIR)--The holidays are a time for people to gather with the ones they love to celebrate and give thanks for everything they have been blessed with  during the year. It is also the time of the year when people are most likely to feel the most generous and donate to various charities. Unfortunately, there are those out there that want to take advantage of that generosity.

The Kansas Attorney General's office has issued a press release warning Kansas residents to be conscientious on who they give their money to. They advise people to do their homework before you part with your hard earned money. Don't wait to be solicited for a donation through e mail, mail or phone, decide ahead of time who you want to donate to and how much you want to donate to them.

Legitimate charities are more than happy to provide you with any information you may request and will wait for your donations. Be wary of anyone pressuring you to make a donation right away.

Most charitable organizations are required by law to register with the Secretary of State's office. You can go to www.kscharitycheck,org to look up information on any charitable organization including how much of the money it raises goes to support charitable causes and how much is spent on fund raising expenses. If someone solicits you and they are not listed on that site, there is a good chance they are not who they say they are.

For more tips on how to protect yourself from scammers, visit the Attorney General's Consumer Protection website at www.inyourcornerkansas.org.