Matthew Rosenquist
Moderator
Where there is Crisis, there is Always Fraud
Hurricane Harvey, a massive Category 4, has devastated coastal regions of Texas, the major city of Houston, and surrounding communities. Americans have a long history of helping those in need after disasters. Tens of millions and possibly hundreds of millions might be raised from donations, like in the case of previous hurricane Katrina. Giving to those who need help is noble. But be wary of the scammers who use such events to solicit funds in the name of victims, but keep it for themselves. It is a huge problem.
Undoubtedly, you will be bombarded by requests to donate. Expect emails, websites, advertising links, phone solicitations, pleas in social media, and text messages all asking for your help. Some will be outright scammers, taking advantage of people who passionately want to those impacted. Others may be legitimate charities but only actually deliver a small percentage of donated funds to the relief effort, with the majority being siphoned off for advertising expenses, operating costs, large executive salaries, and business overhead.
Take a moment to think. Instead of texting some random number, clicking a web link, or giving your financial data to an unverified person, I strongly recommend you do a bit of research. If in doubt, go to the website of a trusted charity or aid organization and donate directly through their site.
When a Dollar is only 50 cents
Keep in mind, that not all donated money goes to victims. Charities take some for operating costs, including salaries of employees and executives. The percentage can be shocking. In some cases, only pennies on the dollar, actually go towards the cause. There are many responsible organizations and there are plenty who operate with a greater level of self interest.
Charities will often hire sales, marketing, and call-center companies to help solicit donations. These companies can take a large percentage of the money they raise in donations as their payment. Sadly, it has been reported that in some cases less than 1% of donated money goes to the cause. The rest is eaten up by bureaucracy, overhead, large salaries, and marketing.
Be Smart!
Sites like CharityWatch.org and CharityNavigator provide information to understand how much of your donation will make its way to the people who need it.
Don’t let scammers or high-overhead charities dilute your contribution or dissuade you from helping. Just be smart. When you decide to donate, make sure the maximum of what you are giving will go where you intend.
Image Source: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > News > Special Reports > Hurricane Harvey
Interested in more? Follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter (@Matt_Rosenquist), Information Security Strategy, Golos, and Steemit to hear insights and what is going on in cybersecurity.
Hurricane Harvey, a massive Category 4, has devastated coastal regions of Texas, the major city of Houston, and surrounding communities. Americans have a long history of helping those in need after disasters. Tens of millions and possibly hundreds of millions might be raised from donations, like in the case of previous hurricane Katrina. Giving to those who need help is noble. But be wary of the scammers who use such events to solicit funds in the name of victims, but keep it for themselves. It is a huge problem.
Undoubtedly, you will be bombarded by requests to donate. Expect emails, websites, advertising links, phone solicitations, pleas in social media, and text messages all asking for your help. Some will be outright scammers, taking advantage of people who passionately want to those impacted. Others may be legitimate charities but only actually deliver a small percentage of donated funds to the relief effort, with the majority being siphoned off for advertising expenses, operating costs, large executive salaries, and business overhead.
Take a moment to think. Instead of texting some random number, clicking a web link, or giving your financial data to an unverified person, I strongly recommend you do a bit of research. If in doubt, go to the website of a trusted charity or aid organization and donate directly through their site.
When a Dollar is only 50 cents
Keep in mind, that not all donated money goes to victims. Charities take some for operating costs, including salaries of employees and executives. The percentage can be shocking. In some cases, only pennies on the dollar, actually go towards the cause. There are many responsible organizations and there are plenty who operate with a greater level of self interest.
Charities will often hire sales, marketing, and call-center companies to help solicit donations. These companies can take a large percentage of the money they raise in donations as their payment. Sadly, it has been reported that in some cases less than 1% of donated money goes to the cause. The rest is eaten up by bureaucracy, overhead, large salaries, and marketing.
Be Smart!
Sites like CharityWatch.org and CharityNavigator provide information to understand how much of your donation will make its way to the people who need it.
Don’t let scammers or high-overhead charities dilute your contribution or dissuade you from helping. Just be smart. When you decide to donate, make sure the maximum of what you are giving will go where you intend.
Image Source: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > News > Special Reports > Hurricane Harvey
Interested in more? Follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter (@Matt_Rosenquist), Information Security Strategy, Golos, and Steemit to hear insights and what is going on in cybersecurity.