Giving Tuesday: 7 On Your Side tips to avoid getting scammed

RICHMOND HILL, Queens (WABC) -- Giving Tuesday asks us to give back after all the spending on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and last year, people were very generous -- to the tune of nearly $2.5 billion in donations.

But before you give, 7 On Your Side has the best ways to donate without getting scammed.

The impact of giving is felt every day at charities like River Fund in Richmond Hill, where palettes of donated food feed 15,000 hungry New York city households each week.

"It really is about bringing dignity, respect and normalcy to a life that if you can imagine a senior at 80 years old standing on a line to get food," River Fund founder Swami Durga Das said. "I mean there's no need for our…