AG James issues warning on charitable giving for hurricane relief

New York Attorney General Letitia James recently provided reminders and tips to New Yorkers who are seeking to provide support to victims of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) warned New Yorkers of sham charities attempting to take advantage of this crisis.

“In the wake of terrible humanitarian crises such as the hurricanes in the southeastern United States, scammers often take advantage of generous acts in exchange for personal gain,” said James. “As New Yorkers seek to provide aid to victims of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, I urge them to be cautious of sham charities and make sure that they are giving to trustworthy organizations and groups. We will continue to do all we can to support victims of these terrible tragedies and I encourage anyone who experiences any issues to reach out to my office.”

The OAG explained that in the wake of disasters like hurricanes, fraudulent organizations may try to take advantage of New Yorkers’ good intentions, and offered up the following tips and guidelines:

• If you receive a solicitation by email, find out who is behind that email address. Contact the charity whose name is in the email or visit its website to find out if the email is really from the charity. Do not give personal information or your credit card number in response to an email solicitation unless you have checked out the charity.

• Before giving through social media or fundraising sites, research the identity of the organizer of the fundraising efforts and ask the same questions you would of a charity. Online platforms that host groups and individuals soliciting for causes may not thoroughly vet those who use their service. Donors should only give to campaigns conducted by people whom they know. Donors also should take a close look at the site’s FAQs and Terms and Conditions to see what fees will be charged. Also, don’t assume that charities recommended on social media sites, blogs, or other websites have already been vetted. Research the charity yourself to confirm that the charity is aware of the campaign and has given its approved permission for the use of its name or logo. If available, sign up for updates from the campaign organizer to keep abreast of how contributions to the campaign are being spent.

• Check before giving. Donate to charities you are familiar with and carefully review information about the charity before you give. Check a website like disasterphilanthropy.org to find out which charities are at the aid forefront. Most charities are required to register and file financial reports with OAG’s Charities Bureau if they solicit contributions from New Yorkers. Check OAG’s website for financial reports of charities or ask the charity directly for its reports.

• Ask how your donation will be used. Find out how the charity plans to use your donation, including the services and individuals your donation will support. Find out more than just the cause. Find out what organization or entity will receive the money and what programs it conducts or what services it provides.

• Look into newly formed organizations carefully. Often, in the aftermath of tragedies, new organizations emerge to meet community needs. While most of these organizations are well-intentioned, and some may provide innovative forms of assistance, some may not have the experience or infrastructure to follow through on their promises, and some may turn out to be scams.

• Exercise caution before you text a contribution. Check the charity’s website or call the charity to confirm it has authorized contributions to be made via text message.

• Don’t give cash. Give directly to the charity either by check made payable to the organization or through the charity’s website.

• Be cautious before giving credit card or personal information over the phone, by text message, or via the internet. In all cases, make sure you are familiar with the organization to which you give such information and check to see that the fundraising campaign is legitimate.

• Report suspicious organizations. If you believe an organization is misrepresenting its work, or that a fundraising or charitable scam is taking place, file a complaint with the Charities Bureau, or call 212-416-8401.