SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney who provides free legal services to low income seniors in San Mateo County, California.

DISASTER CHARITY RELIEF SCAMS March 22, 2019

Hurricanes, floods, tornados and fires leave many homeowners desperate for help. Unfortunately, this creates opportunities for fraudsters to ply their despicable trade.

They may pretend to represent a charity that is helping those in need. Their first contact might be by computer ID spoofing, telephone or robocall technology.  

Be wary of charities that spring up too suddenly in response to current events and natural disasters. Even if they are legitimate, they probably don’t have the infrastructure to get the donations to the affected area or people.

Representatives of legitimate charities and fundraisers may use the phone, face-to-face contact, email, the internet (including social networking sites), and mobile devices to solicit and obtain donations. Naturally, scammers use these same methods to deceive you and take advantage of your goodwill.

Regardless of how they reach you, avoid any charity or fundraiser that:

*Refuses to provide detailed information about its identity, mission, costs, and how the donation will be used.

*Won’t provide proof that a contribution is tax deductible.

*Uses a name that closely resembles that of a better-known, reputable organization.

*Thanks you for a pledge you don’t remember making.

*Uses high-pressure tactics like trying to get you to donate immediately, without giving you time to think about it and do your research.

*Asks for donations in cash or asks you to wire money.

*Offers to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect the donation immediately.

*Guarantees sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution. You never have to give a donation to be eligible to win a sweepstakes.

If you receive this type of contact, before giving out any personal information or agreeing to any payment, you should independently verify that the call is from a legitimate charity. 

If you wish to report a suspected fraud, call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at 1-866-720-5721. If you need to report other fraudulent activities during or following a natural disaster, please notify FEMA at 1-866-720-5721 or disaster@leo.gov. You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission http://www.ftc.gov.

To guard against this disaster related scam, there are several steps you can take to protect yourself:

*Donate to trusted, well-known charities. Beware of scammers who create fake charities during natural disasters. Always verify a charity’s legitimacy through its official website. If you have doubts:

* you can check with Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance

 *You can also check with the National Association of State Charity Officials. Legitimate charities are required to be on file with your state.

* To check if the charity is trustworthy, or gain other information you can contact the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, GuideStar or ftc.gov/charityfraud.

*Verify all phone numbers for charities. If you need to contact a charity by phone, verify through the charity’s official website that the number you have is legitimate.

*Do not open suspicious emails. If you receive a suspicious email requesting donations or other assistance, do not click on any links or open any attachments. Scammers regularly use email for phishing attacks and to spread malware.

*Be skeptical of social media posts. Independently verify any solicitation for charitable donations before you give. If you’re using text-to-donate, check the number with the charity first.

*Finally, watch out for scammers impersonating federal, state, tribal and municipal authorities. If someone calls claiming to be a government official, hang up. You can call the number listed on that government agency’s official website to determine if it is a legitimate call.

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