ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) warns New Yorkers to be careful of sham charities amind the ongoing response to the Buffalo mass shooter attack. OAG said scammers will often use incidents of crisis to perpetuate frauds to divert donations away from the intended recipients.
Anyone who is considering making a donation to organizations that are purportedly assisting victims of the Buffalo shooting should consult OAG’s charitable giving tips before donating. OAG has offered offers the following guidelines for those donating to those impacted in the wake of the hate-filled terror attack they said.
- Check Before Giving – Donate to charities you are familiar with and carefully review information about the charity before you give. Most charities are required to register and file financial reports with the OAG Charities Bureau.
- Ask How Your Donation Will Be Used – Find out how the charity plans to use your donation, including the services and individuals your donation will support.
- Look Into Newly Formed Organizations Carefully – In an aftermath of tragedies, new organizations emerge to meet community needs. Most of these organizations are well-intentioned, but some may not have the experience or infrastructure to follow through on their promises, or just be scams.
- Solicited by Email? Find Out Who is Soliciting.
- If you receive a solicitation by email, find out who is behind that email address.
- Contact the charity…
