Five tips to avoid Haiti relief scams

Five tips to avoid Haiti relief scams

The aftermath of natural disasters often bring out the
scammers and con artists. Here are five tips to avoid Haiti
relief scams and make sure your donations make a difference.

Within 24 hours of the Haitian earthquake, scammers were at
work trying to profit from the disaster. The scams ranged
from e-mails asking donors for help to phone calls soliciting
funds to phony relief websites harvesting credit card numbers.

Whenever there is a natural disaster, there are two things
you can count on, says Art Taylor, president of the Better
Business Bureau's (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, a nonprofit
consumer group. "The first is the generosity of Americans
to donate time and money to help victims, and the second is
the appearance of poorly run, and in some cases fraudulent,
charities," he says in a statement on the group's Website.

More than 400 Internet addresses related to Haiti have
been registered since Monday's devastating quake, Internet
security expert Joel Esler told ABC News. Some of those
websites may be legitimate, but many others are fraudulent.

"Not only do Americans need to be concerned about avoiding
fraud, they also need to make sure their money goes to
competent relief organizations that are equipped and
experienced to handle the unique challenges of providing
assistance," Taylor says.

Here are five tips, culled from information from the
Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Better Business
Bureau, to ensure your donation reaches its destination:

* Stick to well-known, reputable charities. The American
Institute of Philanthropy recently published their list
of top Haiti relief organizations, and Charity Navigator
evaluates charities with a four-star rating system. The
BBB also accredits charities based on fund-raising
practices and how the charities spend the funds.

* Be cautious when donating online. Scammers can put up
a website and open a PayPal account overnight, so be wary
of donating on sites you don't recognize. Also remember
that most nonprofit groups' Websites end in .org rather
than .com. Don't respond to unsolicited e-mails, and
don't click links or open attachments from people you
don't know since they may contain
computer viruses.

* Donate to organizations, not individuals. Be skeptical
of individuals who approach you - in person, on phone,
or via e-mail - asking for money. Some may pose as an
official or represent a charity.

* Check the charity out. Find out if it has on-the-ground
presence in Haiti, and ask how your funds will be used.
If a charity doesn't already have staff in Haiti, it may
find it difficult or take a long time to
provide immediate assistance.

* Give money, not food, clothing, or equipment. Although
well intentioned,donations of food and clothing are
inefficient ways to help victims quickly, when transportation
and distribution are taken into account. Give money and
let the experts determine how best to use it.

Finally, if you think you've been scammed, you can file
a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center
(if the scam was online) or with the National Fraud
Information Center if the scam was over the phone or online.
Find all the URL,web addresses and more information on Scam Reports and Performance Reviews