MAUI COUNTY, Hawaii — Maui is forever changed after the heartbreaking destruction of wildfires that demolished a historic town and killed at least 110 people. As the area works to pick up the pieces and recover, many people who have been watching from afar want to know how they can help.
Not just help, but help and not get scammed in the process. We have turned to several sources to verify what you need to know to make sure your donations and contributions go to the right place.
The Sources
1. Do your research to verify the charity's credibility
An FTC approved way to verify if an organization is a properly established and monitored nonprofit is to research. You should make sure the name is exact, the FTC warns that scammers might use a name close to that of a reputable organization in hopes that you won't notice.
While plenty of new charities will pop-up in the aftermath of these kinds of events, the New York AG’s office cautions, their intentions may be good, but their ability to properly manage an influx of donations might not be.
2. Be wary of solicitations for donations via email
Check the sender’s email address to see if it looks legit, but even if it does:
- Fight Cybercrime says valid organizations won’t include attachments in emails
- The FBI advises not to open any or click links from a sender you don’t know personally and definitely don’t give personal or financial information over email.
3. Verify the method of payment and don't pay cash
The FBI warns that if you’re being asked to donate through cash, a gift card, virtual currency, or a wire transfer it’s probably a scam. Using your credit card online is safer.
If you get a feeling something isn’t right after you’ve already made the donation contact your bank.
4. Pay attention to the red flags
According to the FTC, here's a few other typical signs of scams:
Some scammers try to trick you into paying them by thanking you for a donation that you never made.
Scammers can change caller ID to make a call look like it’s from a local area code.
Some scammers use names that sound a lot like the names of real charities. This is one reason it pays to do some research before giving.
Bogus organizations may claim that your donation is tax-deductible when it is not.
Guaranteeing sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a donation is not only a scam, it’s illegal.
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