MICHIGAN, USA — As Hurricane Ian makes its way toward South Carolina, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is encouraging Michiganders to watch out for donation scams related to the disaster.
Troy Baker with BBB of West Michigan says bad actors can take advantage of your interest in helping others after the hurricane. He says it's important to be diligent and research the organizations collecting donations.
"There are a lot of organizations out there that are trying to do the best they can to help out those people that are impacted," he said. "But just because you get a phone call and email or a text message, doesn't necessarily mean that that's the best place to give your money."
If you're looking to donate, he says you should research the organization and learn how it plans to spend the donations. He also recommends contacting the group and asking any questions you may have. Once you've decided to donate to a particular organization, donate directly to them through their official website.
While you're looking for organizations, Baker says you should keep a close eye on their names. Fraudulent groups will have names similar to those you recognize, like the American Red Cross, in order to confuse you. In addition, each organization should be registered as an official nonprofit.
Baker also encourages those looking for a way to donate to avoid crowdfunding sites, as those sites don't have a series of checks and balances to protect donators.
"Everybody's gonna have a page up there on different things. And some of them may be very worthwhile, but you don't know exactly how that money is going to be used...You're better off using a legitimate 501(c)(3) nonprofit that's gone through the whole registration process with the IRS, they've jumped through all the hoops because they're a legitimate organization."
You can keep an eye on scams through the BBB's Scam Tracker here.
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