{"id":79101,"date":"2016-08-19T07:48:35","date_gmt":"2016-08-19T12:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=79101"},"modified":"2016-08-19T07:49:00","modified_gmt":"2016-08-19T12:49:00","slug":"ohio-a-g-warns-of-charitable-giving-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2016\/08\/19\/ohio-a-g-warns-of-charitable-giving-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"A-G warns of charitable giving scams"},"content":{"rendered":"

Submitted information<\/em><\/p>\n

COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine offers advice to help Ohioans make wise charitable contributions and avoid scams following the devastating flooding in Louisiana.<\/p>\n

\"Ohio
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe encourage people to be generous in helping the people of Louisiana,\u201d Attorney General DeWine said. \u201cWe also encourage people to make sure their donations go to legitimate causes, not con artists.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, there are some people who will try to take advantage of this tragedy,\u201d he added. \u201cA little bit of research can go a long way in avoiding scams.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tips for making charitable donations after a natural disaster:<\/p>\n

Carefully review donation requests<\/strong>. Do some research to make sure donations will be used as intended. After a natural disaster or national tragedy, some sham charities pop up to take advantage of people\u2019s generosity. Don\u2019t assume that charity recommendations on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites have been vetted. The first donation request found may not be the best.<\/p>\n

Evaluate charities<\/strong> using resources such as the Ohio Attorney General\u2019s Office (or the offices of other state attorneys general), IRS Select Check, Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, and GuideStar.<\/p>\n

Beware of \u201clook-alike\u201d websites or accounts<\/strong>. Be skeptical of charities or groups with names that sound similar to well-known organizations. They may be intended to confuse donors. Those who receive a message from an organization asking for a donation, should confirm that the request truly is from the organization, and not an impostor, by contacting the organization directly or visiting its website.<\/p>\n

Be careful when giving to newly formed charities<\/strong>. Some charities that are formed shortly after a natural disaster or tragedy have good intentions but lack the experience to properly handle donors\u2019 contributions. Established charities are more likely to have experience to respond following a tragedy and to have a track record that you can review.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Check out crowd-funding campaigns before donating<\/strong>. Those who want to make a contribution using a crowd-funding or peer-to-peer fundraising site, should find out how donations will be used before donating. Try to determine which campaigns are legitimate and supported by those close to the tragedy, and which haven\u2019t been vetted (some people ask for donations claiming to help victims but ultimately keep the money for themselves). Also consider how much of a donation will go to the website itself or whether any fees will be charged for making the donation. Find out how the website will use personal information. Be wary of sites that don\u2019t provide a privacy policy.<\/p>\n

Review claims carefully<\/strong>. Some groups sell merchandise online and claim that \u201c100 percent of the proceeds\u201d will benefit a specific charitable purpose, but this claim does not necessarily mean 100 percent of the sales price will go toward the cause. Contact the organization to ask how much of each purchase will support the cause. If the organization cannot provide an answer, consider donating another way.<\/p>\n

Contact a charity before raising money on its behalf<\/strong>. If you want to set up a fundraiser for a particular charity, contact the organization in advance and determine how you can properly collect donations.<\/p>\n

Signs of a potential charity scam include<\/strong>:<\/p>\n