Tens of thousands have been killed--thousands more are missing and injured--in
largest earthquake to strike globe since 1964, causing devastating tsunami waves.Unfortunately, when disaster strikes, con artists invariably rear their ugly heads to try and take advantage of situation.
In this article, we're going to show you how to avoid becoming a scam victim, when donating to charities for tsunami relief effort.
To begin with, best advice we can give you is, "go with who you know!" In other words, donate only to those charities that you're familiar with and that have been around for a while.
A few of charities we recommend that fall into that category include:
American Red Cross National Headquarters 2025 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20006 Phone: (202) 303-4498 Disaster Assistance info: (866) GET-INFO (866-438-4636) To make a donation: (800) HELP-NOW (800-435-7669) http://www.redcross.org
Oxfam America 26 West Street Boston, MA 02111 For general questions about Oxfam's work or to make a donation, please call: In US: 800-77-OXFAM (800-776-9326) Outside US: 617-482-1211 http://www.oxfamamerica.org
AmeriCares Foundation 88 Hamilton Ave Stamford, CT 06902 1-800-486-HELP (4357) https://www.americaresfoundation.net/
UNICEF House 3 United Nations Plaza New York, New York 10017 212-326-7000 - Switchboard UNICEF House http://www.unicefusa.org
In addition Network for Good is an online resource for all types of legitimate and registered non-profit organizations, including your favorite charities:
Network For Good 8615 Westwood Center Dr. Suite 1A Vienna, VA 22182 Phone: 703-265-3683 http://www.networkforgood.org/
Listed below are some tips to aid you in giving safely both online and offline:
1. Make sure you have exact name of organization. Some charities or charity web sites have names that sound similar and you need to make sure it's a legitimate nonprofit. Before you give online you should be familiar with name and reputation of charity you intend to support. If in doubt check with your local United Way or Community Information Center, they may be familiar with charity.
2. Only give to charities recognized by appropriate governmental body in their respective country. Look for charity to explain their tax — exempt nonprofit (NGO) status in a FAQ or similar area of their web site. You should also be aware that some advocacy organizations are not allowed by law to issue tax deductible receipts, you may still wish to support their work, however our advice is to understand before you make gift what type of tax receipt you can expect.
3. Any legitimate charity seeking your support via Internet or offline will give you ample opportunities to ask questions and to learn about their mission. In US you can learn a lot about a charity by ask for document charity files with IRS each year called 990 Form. Nonprofit organizations are required by law to provide this information when asked. If you prefer you can find a copy already posted online at http://www.guidestar.org
4. Make sure charity site uses encryption technology that ensures appropriate security for online donations and data transmission. Before entering any information you consider sensitive (i.e. credit card number, personal identification data, etc), verify that page requesting your credit card information is secure (encrypted). The letters https://—rather than http://— should precede page's URL and/or there should be an unbroken key or padlock symbol located in corner of web browser. If in doubt, contact charity by telephone or by e-mail before you provide information online.
