The Internal Revenue Service has issued a scam alert in the wake of the Orlando shootings, the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce said in a news release Friday.

The IRS said there are a number of fake-charity scams in reaction to the shooting that killed 49 and injured 53 last Sunday, and the release from the Waterville-based chamber warned that those who want to donate should make sure they’re giving to a legitimate charity.

“While there has been an enormous wave of support across the country for the victims and families of Orlando, it is common for scam artists to take advantage of this generosity by impersonating charities to get money or private information from well-meaning taxpayers,” the release said. “Such fraudulent schemes may involve contact by telephone, social media, e-mail or in-person solicitations.”

IRS tips to avoid scams include:

• Donate to recognized charities.

• Be wary of charities with names that are similar to familiar or nationally known organizations. Some phony charities use names or websites that sound or look like those of respected, legitimate organizations.

• Don’t give out personal financial information such as Social Security numbers or credit card and bank account numbers and passwords to anyone who solicits a contribution.

• Don’t give or send cash

• Bogus websites might solicit funds for victims of this tragedy. These sites frequently mimic the sites of, or use names similar to those of, legitimate charities, or they claim to be affiliated with legitimate charities in order to persuade people to send money or provide personal financial information that can be used to steal identities or financial resources.

• Additionally, scammers often send emails that steer recipients to bogus websites that appear to be affiliated with legitimate charitable causes.

The release said more information about tax scams and schemes may be found at IRS.gov using the keywords “scams and schemes.”