There are charities, disaster relief or collaborative assistance endeavors going on all the time. Donating to worthy causes is…well…worthy. It is great to help out people. It is part of who we are and what we should do. Unfortunately, there are people who benefit off the misery of others by way of fraud.

If you get a request to donate to a charity, please vet the source of it first. Following are some items to help you find out of the donations are going to a worthy cause or to a scammers bank account.

• Be extra cautious when giving online.
  Be cautious about online giving, especially in response to spam messages and emails. If you want to give to a charity, go to the charity’s website.
• Rely on expert opinion when it comes to evaluating a charity.
  Be cautious when relying on third-party recommendations. You can go to the Federal Trade Commission’s website.
• Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups.
  Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations.  If so, you may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and give directly. The worst among these middlemen are telemarketers who give a single digit percentage of your donation to the actual charity.

Here is a good place to start:
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0074-giving-charity

Be safe out there!