Campaign Blog
Giving to Disaster Relief Efforts, How to Avoid Charity Fraud
Posted by Doug Gansler on January 15, 2011 at 12:33 pm
In the wake of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, so many Marylanders have generously contributed to relief efforts. When sending money, please be careful to choose legitimate charities. In the past, many Americans have been scammed when donating to organizations over the internet, by phone, or through door-to-door solicitations.
Here are some tips to consider when making a donation to relief efforts surrounding the recent natural disasters in Japan:
- Be wary of fake sites resembling those of trusted organizations. Bogus charities often use names and logos that closely resemble those of other more well-known organizations.
- Most relief organizations end with “.org” not “.com”. For example, the American Red Cross website is www.redcross.org NOT www.redcross.com.
- Rather than clicking on a link found in an e-mail or on a website, type the name of the organization you wish to donate to in an online search engine.
- Do not open e-mails with attachments or links claiming to show photos or videos because you may download a computer virus.
- In general, do not give out personal information such as a credit card number or bank account number to telephone solicitations.
- Do not make cash donations and never make checks out to individuals, but to the organization.
- Check if the charity (and paid fundraiser, if one is used) is registered with the Maryland Secretary of State (http://www.sos.state.md.us/Charity/SearchCharity.aspx).
- Ask how much of the donation goes toward the charitable work, and how much goes toward administrative costs of the fundraising organization. Be suspicious if the answer is 100 percent, as all organizations have administrative costs.
- Be wary solicitors who demand an immediate payment or solicitors who offer to send a courier to pick up checks before a consumer can change his/her mind.
- You have the right to ask as many questions as necessary to make an informed decision about whether or not to donate. If the charity resists answering questions, you should not donate money.
- Consider visiting relief websites set up by well-known and legitimate charities such as the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org), MercyCorps (www.mercycorps.org/), UNICEF (www.unicefusa.org/), or World Vision (www.worldvision.org/).
For more information regarding charitable giving, you can visit www.oag.state.md.us/consumer/tip42.htm. If you have any questions concerning a charity, you should call the Charitable Organizations Division of the Maryland Secretary of State's office at 1-800-825-4510 or visit www.sos.state.md.us/charity/charityhome.aspx.
blog comments powered by DisqusMeet Doug Gansler
Since taking office, Doug Gansler has distinguished himself by prosecuting polluters of the Chesapeake Bay, protecting consumers from corporate and insurance fraud, safeguarding the public from gangs, and attacking the underbelly of the Internet. More
