Yahoo Finance Donors cautioned to be alert for scams when supporting Fort McMurray relief
With the massive fire still raging in Fort McMurray, Alta. and its surrounding area, Canadians are showing their concern for the more than 80,000 residents who have been forced to flee their homes.
The Red Cross said Thursday said that it had already raised at least $11 million for relief efforts (and growing) involving family reunification, assistance for shelters in Edmonton and Lac La La Biche, accommodations, basic necessities such as food and water, as well as specially trained volunteers to care for those who have suffered emotional trauma.
Both the federal government and the government of Alberta have promised to match the organization’s donations.
Unfortunately, there are those who are looking to take advantage of an already bad situation.
The Fort McMurray Fire Help Facebook page suggests that Canadians looking to help should avoid giving donations through GoFundMe and that many fake fundraising accounts have been created on social media.
[While not confirmed as a fake, there are currently 60 GoFundMe campaigns for Alberta Wildfire victims, and ones that have no further text in their descriptions should raise suspicion. / Screengrab GoFundMe]
The Better Business Bureau has also cautioned to watch for scammers looking to “take advantage of people’s good nature.”
“Social media is filled with people opening their doors or their wallets for those in need,” Ron Mycholuk, public relations manager at the BBB, said in a press release Tuesday.
“But the sad reality is that some bad people are going to use this as a chance to scam people.”
The BBB offered the following tips to help avoid scams:
Be cautious about donating online, especially in response to unsolicited emails, text message or social media posts.
Go directly to a charity’s websites.
Be careful when using recommendations for charities from bloggers or other websites.
Be wary of claims that 100 per cent of donations will go towards relief efforts. Organizations have fundraising and administrative costs.
Check organizations’ websites to see if they have an on-the-ground presence in impacted areas. If not, it may be difficult for them to address the immediate needs of those affected by the crisis.
See if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other organizations. Donors should consider “avoiding the middleman.”
Food and clothing drives may have good intentions, but “may not necessarily be the quickest way to help,” unless they have the adequate infrastructure in place to distribute the goods. The BBB advises people to ask charities about their transportation and distribution plans, and be wary of organization who are less experience in disaster relief.
If you're looking to donate, you can be confident your money is going to help by following links to (and from) reputable sites.
The Red Cross’ website can be found here, but it is asking people to make donations through its Alberta Fires Appeal’s page.
You can also visit the Red Cross’ on Facebook and Twitter.
Another option for Canadians to make donations is by phoning 1-800-418-1111.
There’s also the option of texting “REDCROSS” to 30333 to make a $5 donation, and a message saying “FIRES” sent to 45678 will generate a $10 donation.
Facebook users have also set up an open-source help page, which directs them to a site where visitors can either make an offer to help or apply for help.
Those looking to pitch in are given the option of saying they’re available for various form of aid, including: offering accommodation, taking care of children or pets, providing transportation and donation food and supplies.
Edmonton’s Food Bank is also offering up supplies to evacuees who have fled to the city and are also sending shipments to the food bank in Wood Buffalo, as well as other local organizations.
Food donations can be left at any major grocery store or fire hall in Edmonton, and monetary donations can be made here.
Airbnb has also initiated its disaster response tool until May 21, which waives all services fees so users can open up their homes to evacuees for free.
The Edmonton Emergency Relief Services Society is accepting small donations of new goods at their location in the city’s downtown. The charity is currently looking for supplies such as: diapers, baby wipes, towels, toiletries, socks, underwear and shoes.
Fort McMurray Fire Emergency Animal Assistance is a group on Facebook who is seeking volunteers who can offer to temporarily offer shelter to and take care of pets and livestock.
People looking to volunteer in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo can offer their services by filling out an application form on its website.
The BBB says people who believe they’ve targeted by a scam can report it here.
Canadians can also research charities and relief organizations on the BBB’s website or with the Canada Revenue Agency.
