ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Hearing about the wildfires in California may compel you to donate money to help the thousands of people impacted.
There are dozens of places asking for donations, but the Better Business Bureau (BBB) cautions you to do your research: scammers could be one step ahead of law enforcement.
“One of the horrible things about any natural disaster is scammers pay attention to the news,” says Dennis Horton with the BBB. “They are playing on your emotions.”
To see if they’re legit, Horton says to type in the charity’s name along with ‘scam’ or ‘complaints’ and if something comes up, that’s a red flag. Another is if the payment involves gift cards.
“It’s a form of payment that’s difficult to trace,” says Horton. “Once they get that pin number, they can get the money off the card and you retrieving that cash is almost impossible.”
The BBB also has a list of national and local accredited charities on its website. There are several standards each organization must meet. One accredited charity is the Salvation Army.
“We’re on the ground in southern California helping people and first responders in their time of need,” says Brian Duewel with the Salvation Army North & Central Illinois Division.
They say the best way to help is to donate financially.
“That’s the nature of a Midwesterner. People want to do something, and they know they can’t travel across the country to be there themselves,” says Duewel.
“Any charity that needs help today will need help tomorrow and they are more than willing to wait,” says Horton.
The BBB also says to find out if the charity is accredited by the California Attorney General’s Office to ensure they can legally take donations.
Copyright 2025 WIFR. All rights reserved.
This post was originally published on here
