Helping Victims of the
Terrorist Attacks:
Your Guide to Giving Wisely
In the wake of the
September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon,
Americans are opening their hearts and wallets to help the nation recover.
If you're thinking about donating to the cause, here are some tips to help
you give wisely:
-
Donate to recognized charities you have given
to before. Watch out for similar sounding names. Some phony charities use
names that sound or look like those of respected, legitimate
organizations.
-
Give directly to the charity, not solicitors
for the charity. That's because solicitors take a portion of the proceeds
to cover their costs. That leaves less for the victims.
-
Do not give out personal or financial
information - including your Social Security number or credit card and
bank account numbers - to anyone who solicits a contribution from you.
Scam artists use this information to commit fraud against you.
-
Check out charities. Contact the Better
Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance: 4200 Wilson Blvd, Suite 800,
Arlington, VA 22203; (703) 276-0100;
www.give.org.
-
Don't give cash. For security and tax record
purposes, pay by check. Write the official name of the charity on your
check. Or you can contribute safely online through
www.libertyunites.org.
- Ask for identification if you're approached in person. Many states
require paid fund-raisers to identify themselves as such and to name the
charity for which they're soliciting.
See also,
Operation
Phony Philanthropy: Charity Fraud
The FTC works for the consumer to
prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the
marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and
avoid them. To file a
complaint or to get free information
on consumer issues, visit
www.ftc.gov or
call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The
FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related
complaints into
Consumer Sentinel, a
secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law
enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
|
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION |
FOR THE CONSUMER |
1-877-FTC-HELP |
www.ftc.gov |
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September 2001 |