| 9/10/2015 By Christine DiGangi, Credit.com Five years of conflict in Syria
have displaced more than half of that country’s population of 22.85 million,
and, according to Amnesty International, more than 4 million Syrian refugees
have fled to five countries: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. An increase in news coverage of
people scrambling to cross European borders — and the trauma they experience en
route — has recently caught Americans’ attention, amplifying calls for help.
Making monetary donations is among the easiest and most effective ways people
can contribute to humanitarian relief efforts, but that presents a challenge:
How do you know your money is going to where it can best be used? Those looking to donate have a lot
of options, but among the organizations working on the ground to support people
who have fled Syria are people with no intention other than to steal money. It
happens whenever there’s a disaster or crisis grabbing global headlines: Scammers
capitalize on the attention and motivation people have to give money to those
in need by setting up fake charities
to receive donors’ well-intentioned but misdirected funds. The Better Business Bureau Wise
Giving Alliance issued a warning to consumers this week: “Tragedies generate public sympathy
but unfortunately also attract scam fund raising efforts,” said H. Art Taylor,
president and CEO of BBB WGA, in a news release. “We are reminding contributors to be on the lookout for
questionable solicitors and recommend that they focus giving efforts on
charities that already have a presence in the impacted areas.” Their tips include:
Remember that charitable donations are often tax-deductible, so keep records of your payments. It’s worth the effort to research before donating, because sending money to a scammer not only wastes your money, it could expose you to cyberattacks or further scams, which could lead to financial losses or identity theft. |
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| How to Help Syrian Refugees without Getting Scammed |
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