Experts warn scammers will soon start trying to cash in on the tragedy.
PHOENIX — Steven Weisman has a motto.
“Things aren’t as bad as you think,” he said, “they’re probably worse.”
It probably sounds cynical. But not inaccurate given Weisman’s line of work.Â
Weisman operates Scamicide.com, a website dedicated to uncovering fraudulent schemes. He is convinced that scammers will target individuals affected by the Los Angeles wildfires and those looking to offer assistance.
And he doesn’t think it’ll take days.
“Minutes, probably,” Weisman said.Â
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The problem is, once you make a donation, you’ve accepted that it’s gone. You don’t know where your charity has gone, just that it’s been received.Â
So, Weisman said, you should research the charity before you give, especially if they solicit donations from you.Â
He suggests visiting charitynavigator.org, a platform that compiles details about charitable organizations and their operations. This site allows you to confirm the legitimacy of a charity and determine how much of the donated money reaches the intended recipients.
“A good rule of thumb is you don’t want to give to a charity that’s taking more than 25% for its administrative fees,” Weisman said.Â
The Better Business Bureau runs its own website called Give.org, which also lets you look up information and verify if charities are real.
“It’s a donation, so you want to be sure you know where it’s going,” said Jasmine Hill with the Arizona BBB.
Hill recommends you avoid online solicitations or grassroots funds.Â
“Just because something appears online,” Hill cautioned, “even if they seem well-meaning, you can’t be certain about how your donations will be utilized.”
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