charity scams

Hurricane Harvey was a much larger weather event then what was expected. The massive amount of flooding in Huston and surrounding areas many have lost their homes the recovery process will be long so we as Americans will be attempting to find a way help all those affected by the Hurricane Harvey. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been displaced by this weather event.

We want to do all we can to and I encourage all of you to look for ways to help our friends in Texas. I know most of you will want to make a donation. When we do make donation we want the money to reach the victims to help in the recovery process. So before you make your donation do your research there are a few website you can visit to make sure you are donating to reputable organization. The one I like to use is called Charity Navigator they provide an extensive list or reputable organizations you can make a donations to. The IRS web site also provides some guidance on how to avoid scammers.

First I would not respond to emails or postage asking for donations. They often get your information from donations you may have made in the past or signing up for a newsletter. If you get an email I would delete it or chose an opt- out method provided by the email. Some of the email may claim to be a victim of the hurricane which again you should delete the email and make a donation through a reputable charity.

Again I would urge you all to do what you can to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey. It will be a long recovery process so please donation something anything every little bit counts towards a faster recovery.

Thank you

Mark Carbajal