How to Avoid Charity Scams After a Tragedy
When tragedy strikes, some people want to open their wallets to help, while others want to take the contents of these wallets for themselves under the guise of charity. And just as donation scams emerged in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey , a new wave of fraudulent fundraisers are targeting potential donors for the victims of the Las Vegas shooting and their families.
Consumerist made a review based on their own reports and FTC recommendations on how to avoid exploiting your best nature in the aftermath of a major tragedy. Some highlights include:
“ Beware of annoying telemarketers : If asked to donate, ask if the caller is a paid fundraiser, who they work for, and what percentage of your donation will go to charity and the fundraiser. If you didn’t get a clear answer, or if you don’t like the answer, consider donating to another organization. ”
The more information you have about the charity, the better. If in doubt, search for information about the charity yourself and contact it yourself.
“ Be wary of ‘similar’ websites and charities : fraudulent websites may look very similar to the real organization, but may have slightly different URLs. Some organizations may also use names that are very similar to well-known charities. “
You should also beware of the lust for cash transactions and it is probably just not worth donating cash or bank transfers at all. The fewer records you can keep, the more quirky something is likely to be.
Protect Yourself : Never share your Social Security number or other personal information in response to a charity request, or share your credit card information with a stranger.
Always do your research first. Most legitimate charities should have a clean website and be able to easily answer questions about their history and tax status. They definitely shouldn’t ask you for your Social Security number.
If you would like to check with a third party, you can consult the Wise Giving Alliance , Charity Navigator or CharityWatch from the Better Business Bureau . And if you’re on a crowdfunding campaign, make sure you know what their fees are and how much of your donation actually goes to the intended recipient.
Want to make a donation to Las Vegas without dodging phone calls? The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department requires you to donate water or non-perishable goods to Three Square or a Catholic charity . Then there’s GoFundMe, created by the Clark County Commissioner to “provide relief and financial support to victims and their families,” because we definitely don’t have a health crisis in this country and everyone can pay their hospital bills in full.
If you have more blood than money, refrain from donating blood for now. Newsweek reports blood banks are overflowing; you had better wait 6-12 weeks for your current stock to start running out.