Brown Warns Donors to Avoid Sham Fire-Relief Charities
Los Angeles - Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today warned Californians
wishing to assist victims of the California fires to avoid "sham charities" that
rip off consumers in the wake of major disasters.
"After virtually every
disaster, scam artists come out of the woodwork to defraud individuals wishing
to help victims," Brown said. "Californians should give only to reputable
organizations so their donations don't end up lining the pockets of criminals
and opportunists."
Brown noted that fraudulent and misleading charitable
solicitations are common following disasters - whether the donation request
comes by phone, mail, in front of retail stores, or email. He advised consumers
to take time to carefully consider fire-relief solicitations before giving, and
offered the following tips:
- Closely review disaster-relief appeals
before giving.
- Stick with charities that are reputable rather than
those that spring up overnight. If you are unsure, check to see if the charity
is registered in California with the Attorney General's Registry of Charitable
Trusts. Registration does not guarantee legitimacy, but it is an important
indicator. A searchable database is available at http://ag.ca.gov/charities.php.
Information on national charities is available from the Better Business Bureau's
Wise Giving Alliance at 800-575-4483 or www.give.org.
- Take action on your own rather than
responding to solicitations. Seek out known organizations and give directly by
phoning the group, finding its official web site, or via regular mail.
-
Listen closely to the name of the group and beware of "copycat" names that sound
like reputable charities.
- Don't give through email solicitations.
Clicking on an email may lead you to a site that looks real but is established
by identity thieves seeking to obtain money or personal information.
-
Do not give cash. Make checks out to the charitable organization, not the
solicitor.
- Do not be pressured into giving. Even in times of
emergency, reputable organizations do not expect you to contribute immediately
if you are unfamiliar with their services. Be wary of appeals that are long on
emotion but short on details about how the charity will help disaster victims.
- Ask what percentage of donations will be used for charitable
activities that help victims and how much will fund administrative and
fundraising costs. State law requires solicitors to provide such information if
requested by donors. Be wary of fundraisers who balk at answering.
-
Find out what the charity intends to do with any excess contributions remaining
after victims' needs are addressed.
Californians who believe they or others have been victimized by
fraudulent charitable solicitation can file a complaint online with the Attorney
General's Registrar of Charitable Trusts at http://ag.ca.gov/charities.php.
