Pleas to help the people of Ukraine are everywhere, but the New York state attorney general is warning consumers to be cautious in order to avoid potential scams.
Anyone receiving an email asking to help the relief effort, Attorney General Letitia James says it is important to first verify who is behind the email address, and don’t give personal information or a credit card number until then.
To look into a charity, go to places like “Charity Navigator,” “GuideStar” and “<a href=”http://<!– wp:paragraph –> <p>To look into a charity, go to places like “<a href=”https://www.charitynavigator.org/”>Charity Navigator</a>,” “<a href=”https://www.guidestar.org/”>GuideStar</a>” and “charity watch”. There’s also give.org, which is run by the Better Business Bureau.</p> CharityWatch”. There’s also give.org, which is run by the Better Business Bureau.
“So if you go there and you see that a charity is accredited, you know that charity has gone through the process and has shown us that they meet the 20 standards of charity accountability, which look at governance, finances, marketing/promotion and effectiveness,” said Claire Rosenzweig, the president and CEO of BBB of Metropolitan New York.
Rosenzweig said that there are key questions to ask before donating, among them: What percentage of the donation will go to the relief efforts? And does the group have experience in emergency relief?
“It’s really important to work with a…
