During disasters, scammers have a variety of ways to get donations that are supposed to go to victims. They use names that sound like legitimate charities and set up fake websites, social media, and emails.
Before you donate:
- Research any charity.
- Find out how much of the donations go to the charity.
- Never pay by gift card or wire transfer.
- Beware if the charity is using crowdfunding — they may not be vetted.
- See if the charity has representation in the disaster area.
- Go directly to a legitimate charity’s website instead of using links in emails.
Visit these websites for information on charities.
- ftc.gov/charity
- give.org
- charitynavigator.org
