By all means help, but help wisely!
My intention today was to write something totally different than what I am about to say. Something, with the tax deadline approaching, related to preparing your tax return and benefits of which you can take advantage in doing so.
However, in light of the recent devastation and tragedy in Japan, that will have to save for another time.
Arkansans are by nature a generous people, and many of you are eager to do what you can to help alleviate the suffering. But in doing so, you need to be aware that there are scammers and swindlers out there who seek to take advantage of you. So give and give generously, but give cautiously.
A Google search I ran revealed that the scams are already on the loose. For instance, I found where the FBI said they are investigating one in which the miscreants are purporting to be with the British Red Cross and are soliciting donations in the form of wire transfers.
Despicable, yes, but sadly it happens every time a tragedy such as this occurs. And these guys are good at what they do. If not careful, even the best stewards among us can fall victim.
But you can avoid being scammed.
To protect against this, here's some advice form the FBI:
- Do not respond to any unsolicited incoming emails.
- Be skeptical of individuals claiming to be surviving victims or foreign government officials asking for help in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts.
- Go directly to recognized charities' and aid organizations' websites instead of following a link from an email or another site.
- Attempt to verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations by checking their status with Guidestar.org.
- Be leery of emails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
Charity solicitations that seem suspicious can be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud and also can be filed with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel also weighs in with the following advice:
- Don't contribute cash. Make a check or money order payable to the charitable organization, not an individual.
- Consider giving to organizations that have a strong history in providing disaster relief, and ask about what percentage of the donation will benefit the relief effort. (My comment: This is huge, as that percentage can vary greatly among organizations. Charities have to keep some of it, after all they do have bills to pay, but some are just far more efficient and better at than others.)
- Don't fall for high-pressure tactics. Ask questions, and give only when comfortable that the donation will be applied to help the cause. Remember that legitimate charities won't pressure consumers to donate and will provide as much information as a consumer seeks.
- To avoid sham solicitations, contact the charity directly before giving a donation by e-mail or to a door-to-door solicitor.
- Be wary of names that sound similar to reputable organizations. Scam artists may sometimes use names that sound or look like those of respected, legitimate charities.
My best advice? ALWAYS go with someone you already know and trust. Many local areas churches, for instance, are partnering now with "boots on the ground" ministries that they have worked with in the past and know are legitimate and effective to speed aid and relief.
The point, obviously, is to get the most relief into the hands of the most people in the shortest amount of time possible. Be sure you know, before you give, to whom you are giving and that this goal will be achieved. Then you can truly feel great about the good you have done!
