Don’t get scammed donating money to California wildfire victims

LOS ANGELES (AZFamily) —The Los Angeles fires have devastated thousands of homes, leading to many people wanting to help out in some way, including Arizonans. But don’t let scammers get in the way of your good intentions.

Before you donate, the Better Business Bureau says to ensure your money goes to a legitimate place. If you’re thinking of giving to a charity, search for the charity’s report on Give.org.

It will tell you if the charity meets the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. For example, how much of the money donated goes to people in need?

Also, if you get an email that appears to be from a familiar charity asking for support, don’t click any links. It could be a phishing scam. Instead, go directly to the organization’s website on your own.

You probably see a lot of pleas for donations to crowdsourcing sites, like “GoFundMe” pages. Most are probably legit, but many are not. Try to confirm it before you donate.

“I know people from all over the nation are asking how they can help,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass recently said.

She went on to say to be careful when giving financially.

Bass asked for donations to be given to the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund to help families rebuild and restore their lives and homes.

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