Experts warn of donation scams after the Oklahoma tornado
Mid-Missourians donating money to help those affected by tragedies like the Oklahoma tornadoescan fall victim to scammers.
Experts say one of the most common ways to donate is through digital and online sources, and donors need to be careful where they send their money.
“Any time there is a natural disaster, the scammers seem to come out of thewoodwork,”said Mike Odneal of the Better Business Bureau.
For those using their pocketbooks, they shoulderron the side of caution.
After the Boston Marathon bombings, a Twitter account claimed it was raising funds forvictims. That claim turned out to befalse.
It’s scams like those that donors need to be aware of.
It’s often better for donors to stick towell-knownorganizations like the American Red Cross.
The executive director of central Missouri’s Red Cross chapter, David Griffith, says as impersonal as it may seem, the best way to help victims is as simple as signing your name.
“The Red Cross relies on the generosity of our donors,” said Griffith. “We receive no funding from the government so the way we get money to help others is by folks sending in checks.”
“Don’t assume thatifsomething looks legitimate is legitimate, a lot of sites and things can look very convincing but in actuality they are verywell-orchestratedscams in some cases,” Odneal said.
Experts say taking the extra time to research any charity and askingquestionslike, “whereisthe money going to be spent?” can keep a smart donor from becoming a victim.
