Tips to Help Nepal Disaster Victims and Avoid Scammers

The 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal about 50 miles from the nation's capital and largest city, Kathmandu.

Americans are very giving people and with every tragedy, there are unscrupulous people who will attempt to take advantage of your generosity.“When these disasters occur many will feel helpless yet want to do something in support of the recovery efforts. Making a charitable donation is often the first action people will take,” said Warren Clark, president of Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York. “Unfortunately, scammers will also try to take advantage of generous donors.”If you want to help the victims of the Nepal earthquake and other relief efforts, BBB of Upstate New York offers the following advice:Check the charity out.  I like to go to charitynavigator.org before making your donation;  bbb.org is another great option.

Look for experience. Give to charities that are experienced in disaster relief. While other charities may solicit donations for earthquake relief, these organizations may not have the ability to quickly deliver aid to those in need.

Avoid the name game. Watch out for fake charities that imitate the name of well-known organizations in order to confuse donors. Look-alike and sound-alike charities pop up on the Internet following disasters.

Give to tax-exempt charities. To ensure your contribution is tax deductible, donations should be made to charitable organizations that are tax exempt, 501(c)(3) charities.

Watch out for heartstring stories. Beware of emotional appeals that do not address how the charity will meet the needs of victims and their families.

Never send by wire transfer. Avoid any requests for cash donations or to send money via wire transfer. Checks or money orders should be made out to the name of the charitable organization, not to the individual collecting the donation.

Protect your personal information. Do not give your credit card number or other personal information to a telephone solicitor or in response to an e-mail solicitation.