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Natural disasters and weather emergencies are in the news. Whether it’s the devastating wildfires along the West Coast, the relentless rains and flooding along the East Coast, or tornado strikes in the Midwest, it’s heartbreaking to see people lose their homes and businesses. But it’s despicable when scammers exploit such tragedies to appeal to your sense of generosity.

If you’re looking for a way to help, the FTC urges you to be cautious of potential charity scams. Do some research to ensure that your donation will go to a reputable organization that will use the money as promised.

Consider these tips:

  • Donate to charities you know and trust with a proven track record with dealing with disasters.
  • Be alert for charities that seem to have sprung up overnight in connection with current events. Check out the charity with the Better Business Bureau's (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or GuideStar.
  • Designate the disaster so you can ensure your funds are going to disaster relief, rather than a general fund that the charity could use for any of its work.
  • If you get donation requests by email, never click on links or open attachments in e-mails unless you know who sent it. You could unknowingly install malware on your computer.
  • Don’t assume that charity messages posted on social media are legitimate. Research the organization yourself.
  • When texting to donate, confirm the number with the source before you donate. The charge will show up on your mobile phone bill, but donations are not immediate.
  • Find out if the charity or fundraiser must be registered in your state by contacting the National Association of State Charity Officials. If they should be registered, but they're not, consider donating through another charity.

To learn more, go to ftc.gov/charity. For tips to help you prepare for, deal with, and recover from a natural disaster or severe weather event, visit Dealing with Weather Emergencies.

How to donate wisely and avoid scams infographic

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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

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P.J.
August 09, 2018
This is good advise, certainly. For me, I'll give actual items (for example, after the hurricane in Puerto Rico people at our church donated diapers, first aid kits, bottled water, etc. and our pastor knew exactly where to route it). I also give to the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti because I volunteered in their office when I was unemployed and know how they operate. Unfortunately, my level of trust has gone way down hill because of horrible things that have happened in this world.
Chicago-Jean
August 09, 2018
I can't share using the above Facebook link - there seems to be a problem. The LinkedIn link works.
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