Zoeller urges generous Hoosiers to donate responsibly to hurricane relief
INDIANAPOLIS – In light of the massive storm system that pounded the East Coast this week, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller warns Hoosiers to be on guard against possible scam artists who might seek to profit off the Hurricane Sandy disaster.
First, beware of individuals posing as representatives of cable TV companies or Internet service providers who might call and claim customers will receive a billing credit due to supposed outages caused by Hurricane Sandy and then ask for the customer’s bank account information. Such fraudulent calls are known as “phishing†scams. To avoid identity theft or fraudulent withdrawals from their bank accounts, consumers should never give their account information over the phone to anyone unless the consumer initiates the call.
For more information on how to detect identity theft, protect one’s credit and repair any damage once done, consumers can visit this link on the Attorney General’s Office web site: the ID Theft Prevention Toolkit: www.indianaconsumer.com/idtheft/.
Although the widespread damage, flooding and power outages Sandy inflicted might prompt generous Hoosiers to donate to relief efforts, Zoeller warns the public to verify first that relief organizations are reputable, so that they aren’t scammed. He suggests researching the website www.CharityNavigator.org to check whether a charity uses donations for intended purposes.
“When natural disasters strike Indiana, our neighbor states or other nations, Hoosiers always respond selflessly with donations. The best way to maximize their generosity is to donate smartly and wisely to established, transparent disaster-relief charities,†Zoeller said.
Here are a few simple tips for donating, to avoid being scammed:
•Make donations to established organizations with a strong track record of organizing and providing disaster relief.
•Initiate the donation yourself, rather than responding to online or phone solicitations.
•Use the web site www.CharityNavigator.org to assist in identifying relief organizations and determining how much of their donations are used to help victims rather than on administrative overhead.
•To confirm an online donation site is secure so that your financial information won’t be improperly accessed during the transaction, look for “https†in the organization’s website.
•Avoid door-to-door solicitors or offers from charities to stop by a consumer’s home to pick up a check. These too could be fraudulent.
