Avoid hurricane relief charity fraud

Hurricane Lane is a Category 4 churning in the Pacific with an eye toward the Hawaiian islands. If you haven’t made storm preparations, now is the time. The FTC has information to help you prepare for, deal with, and recover from the long-term impacts of a weather emergency. But how about the rest of us ready to help with donations after the hurricane? You should know about how to avoid hurricane relief charity fraud.

Here’s the rundown. After a hurricane hits, people rush to help those in need. If you are making a donation for hurricane relief, remember to give enough thought to where exactly you are sending your money. Because scammers are hoping that generous people like you, in your eagerness to help, won’t do your homework so they can steal that money. The best way to avoid this and other kinds of charity fraud is to go online and do your research to make sure your money goes to a reputable organization.

You can start at ftc.gov/charity – we have articles and resources, including links to six organizations that can help you check out individual charities.

For more information, look below to check out our new charity fraud video and a handy infographic on verifying a hurricane relief charity.

Have a charity fraud complaint? Tell us, at ftc.gov/complaint.