When tragedy strikes, scammers go to work on taking advantage of people’s desire to help.
If you receive communications regarding donating to charity, there are resources available to help you navigate the legitimacy of the organization.
These organizations offer reports and ratings about how charitable organizations spend donations and how they conduct business:
The IRS’s Tax Exempt Organization Search tells you if your donation would be tax deductible.
You can find your state charity regulator at nasconet.org. Most states require the charity or its fundraiser to register to ask for donations.