?Beware of Charity Scams! ?

After any major disaster, the hackers come ready to take advantage of people just trying to give towards a great cause. Here are some must-see tips for when you donate to a charity:⁣

✔️Research the Charity- stick with charities you know and trust. Also, search the charity online with words such as “complaint”, “rating”, or “scam” to see if something comes up. According to the Federal Trade Commission, there are a few organizations that can help you research charities: BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, CharityWatch, and GuideStar.⁣ Also, see how long they have been in business (watch out for charities that have started recently).

Click here for BBB Wise Giving Alliance 

Click here for Charity Navigator

Click here for CharityWatch

Click here for GuideStar

✔️Be Careful How You Pay- if someone asks for a gift card, cash, money order, etc., don’t do it. This is a common way of scammers asking you to pay. Instead, pay with check or credit card as these are safer ways to pay. ⁣

✔️ Don’t Fall for Scammer’s Tricks- scammers will use vague and sentimental claims but give no specifics on where your donation is going; scammers will guarantee sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a donation; scammers will call from a local area code to make it look like they are calling locally, and scammers will create domain names (Websites) that look like the real organization to trick people into donating. ⁣

People are going to need assistance during this time so stick with charities you know and trust that has a proven track record so your money goes to the right place.

What charity do you like to give to after a disaster such as Hurricanes?