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Attorney General: ‘Exercise caution’ when donating to assist hurricane victims

Posted at 1:11 PM, Sep 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-03 16:22:30-04

RICHMOND, Va. – As Hurricane Dorian heads toward the east coast, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is warning Virginians of fake charities that are looking to take advantage of the natural disaster and scam people out of money.

While it may be your first instinct to help victims, Herring is encouraging Virginians to exercise caution as they consider donating money to assist Hurricane Dorian victims in their recovery.

These scams could include crowdfunding pages, which are becoming increasingly more popular among scammers.

Herring says these types of scams are more common following natural disasters.

“Sadly, there are immoral people out there who will take advantage of natural disasters and set up fake charities just to line their own pockets,” said Herring. “I am encouraging all Virginians to research a charity that is claiming to help hurricane victims thoroughly before donating any money.”

Herring recommended these tips when considering a charitable donation:

  • On crowdfunding sites:
    • Check the creator or page owner’s credentials and try to confirm its authenticity and seriousness.
    • Look for indicators of endorsement or legitimacy that the page is actually collecting donations for a particular victim or organization. Some sites offer verification and transparency measures for campaigns. Look for those markers of authenticity, and check out the site’s fraud protection measures.
  • Be cautious, and if you feel uneasy, contribute to a more established charity in the community.
  • Be wary of charities that spring up overnight in connection with a current event or natural disaster. They may make a compelling case for you to make a donation but even if they are legitimate, they may not have the infrastructure or experience to get your donation to the affected area or people.
  • Only give to charities and fundraisers you can confirm are reliable and legitimate. Scrutinize charities with consumer advocates or friends and find out how much of your donation will go to the charity’s programs and services.
  • Beware of “copy-cat” names that sound like reputable charities. Some scammers use names that closely resemble those of respected, legitimate organizations.
  • Be especially cautious if you do not initiate the contact with the charity.
  • Do not be pressured into giving. Legitimate organizations will not expect you to contribute immediately.
  • Ask for written information about the charity, including name, address, and telephone number. Legitimate organizations will give you materials about the charity’s mission, how your donation will be used, and proof that your contribution is tax-deductible. Just because a “charity” has a tax identification number does not mean your contribution is tax-deductible.
  • Avoid cash donations. Make checks payable to the charitable organization and not to an individual collecting a donation. For security and tax record purposes, you may wish to pay by credit card.
  • If contributing over the Internet, be sure the web site you are visiting belongs to the charity to which you want to donate. See if other legitimate web sites will link to that web site. Make sure the web site is secure and offers protection of your credit card number
  • If a charity is soliciting contributions in Virginia, verify its registration with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs (“OCRP”) at (804) 786-1343, or by searching OCRP’s Charitable Organization Database online: http://cos.va-vdacs.com/cgi-bin/char_search.cgi
  • While a legitimate charity should be registered with OCRP to solicit contributions in Virginia, registration alone does not mean that the organization will be effective in aiding victims of a particular natural disaster.

You can report charitable solicitation fraud to the Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs at 804- 786-1343 and the Office of the Attorney General at 800-552-9963 (if calling from Virginia) or 804-786-2042 (if calling from Richmond area).

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