LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Seeing images of buildings torn apart and islands nearly washed away in the Bahamas, it’s hard not to think of ways to give.
“The majority of us, I like to think, are compassionate beings and we want to help,” said Bruce Gadansky, Chief Operating Officer of the Louisville Better Business Bureau.
Hurricane Dorian parked over the Bahamas for two days as a category five hurricane. But unfortunately, Gadansky says some people will take advantage of the tragedy.
“These folks will crawl out from under whatever rocks they hide under and begin to solicit money. None of that money is going to assist anyone but themselves," Gadansky said.
If you want to make a donation, the BBB says you first need to do your research.
“Anyone can call and say, 'Is this a legitimate charity, I've never heard of it before?'” Gadansky said.
You can call the BBB or visit give.org to see the organization's BBB Charity report and find out if it’s accredited.
Second, don't fall for copycat charities saying they're helping hurricane victims.
“If you've never heard of it before, or if it sounds very close to one that you're used to hearing about, then the caution lights should come on,” he said.
Gadansky says fraudsters often use names similar to a legitimate charity.
Third, be wary of emails and social media postings asking for online donations especially if credit card information is involved.
“We caution people,” Gadansky said. “Please check first. It’s not that we don't trust these people, we want to make sure when you're making a donation it's going to people who need it.”
Fourth, don’t be pressured to give immediately.
“People are like 'I got to give something right now.’ I'm happy about you wanting to give, just step back a bit and check it out,” Gadansky said.
And fifth, be cautious of crowdfunding sites.
“I encourage a bit of skepticism on all of that,” he said.
The BBB says you don’t always know who's behind the account and you want to make sure it's going to victims who desperately need it in the aftermath of Dorian.
If you’d like to make a donation to hurricane relief efforts, the following charities are BBB accredited and are assisting with Hurricane Dorian.
- American Humane
- American Red Cross
- Americares Foundation
- Direct Relief
- GlobalGiving
- Humane Society of the United States
- Heart to Heart International
- International Medical Corps
- Mercy Corps
- Salvation Army
- Save the Children
- World Vision
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