Guideline To Donations

Before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, including the following:

• Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages because they may contain computer viruses. 
• Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites. 
• Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same as those of reputable charities. 
• Rather than following a purported link to a website, verify the legitimacy of non-profit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group’s existence and its non-profit status. 
• Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files, because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. 
• To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
• Do not be pressured into making contributions, as  reputable charities do not use such tactics. 
• Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions. 
• Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft. 
• Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by debit or credit card, or write a check directly to the charity. 
• Do not make checks payable to individuals. 
• Legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services.
• Most legitimate charities websites end in .org rather than .com.  
• There are scams targeting Haitian immigrants and their families offering assistance in getting family members and friends out of Haiti.  
• These individuals charge a fee and then claim they will provide the necessary immigration paperwork or an airline ticket for disaster victims to leave Haiti.  For official information pertaining to immigration from Haiti to the U.S., visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website at www.USCIS.gov.