It is a very unfortunate situation when we hear news of scam artists. It is more difficult to hear this news when it involves people who are suffering due to a disaster.
Fire officials are presently warning people that scam artists are falsely claiming to be raising money for fire departments.
A Los Angeles Fire Department Captain told the press that they do not solicit funds. He said that if anyone is asked to make a donation to the fire department, and if they feel it is fraudulent, they should notify law enforcement.
This has been happening many times whenever there is a fire. Scam artists are constantly looking for situations where they try to collect money for a worthy cause.
The captain said that in order to make certain that donations are going to legitimate fund raisers, people should only donate to established charities who have the knowledge to handle donations. It was suggested that if anyone wants to donate to a new established group, the person should get proof that the charity is a registered public charity.
Another suggestion is that if anyone is solicited for money over the phone, he/she should ask the charity to send written information about the group, and avoid giving credit card information over the phone.
Scam artists are aware of incidents where people feel sympathetic. They prey on these people. There were a great deal of scam artists in the New Orleans disaster that took place a couple of years ago. One warning sign of a phony telephone solicitor is the offer to have someone come over right away and pick up the check. These are known as boiler room operations.
Some excellent advice regarding giving to charity are: Don’t succumb to pressure tactics. Well-run charities don’t use pressure tactics. Another good advice is to be careful of imposters. Scam artists are sometimes known to use sound-alike names. They trick you into thinking it is a well known charitable organization. Be wise to this type of scam.
Many times the elderly are victims of charitable fraud. If you are elderly or have someone in your family who are elderly, be cautious. Make certain that you or someone you know are contributing to a legitimate charity.
If you would like to know more about giving to charity and if they are legitimate or not, one can go to
http://www.charitynavigator.org
Source: Charity Navigator
