{"id":2931,"date":"2023-09-05T18:04:08","date_gmt":"2023-09-05T18:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fraud.org\/?p=2931"},"modified":"2023-10-02T17:27:25","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T17:27:25","slug":"hurricane-wildfire-charity-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fraud.org\/hurricane-wildfire-charity-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"Beware of charity scams following Hurricane Idalia and wildfires in Maui"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following disasters, scammers frequently set up fraudulent charities to take advantage of consumers\u2019 interest in helping victims. Beyond stealing victims\u2019 money, these scams rob legitimate charities of funds that would otherwise go to support victims of disasters. Hurricane Idalia and the wildfires in Maui are no exception. At Fraud.org, we have seen an increasing tempo of reports of scammers fraudulently soliciting donations for these natural disasters.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The basic premise of a charity scam is simple: fraudsters solicit donations on behalf of a non-profit effort, while actually diverting some (or all) of the funds to themselves. These phony charities crop up in many contexts in addition to natural disasters. For example, criminal charges have been brought in relation to scams targeting <\/span>veterans assistance<\/span><\/a> programs and <\/span>political<\/span><\/a> initiatives. In 2022, the FTC received over <\/span>10,000 reports<\/span><\/a> of charity fraud. These scams can solicit funds through a variety of mediums, including social media, text messages, and robocalls. They sometimes impersonate governmental agencies or legitimate charity organizations, such as FEMA and the American Red Cross. However, they may also operate under a novel name and premise, trying to take advantage of media coverage in the wake of a disaster.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to provide assistance to victims of Hurricane Idalia and the Maui wildfires, keep the following tips in mind:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n