We all have seen the horrifying pictures of the war in Ukraine and heard the stories of refugees, victims of the bombing, and the efforts of the Ukrainian military. The situation in Ukraine may motivate you to give to a charity that can help Ukrainians during this war.
Situations like those in Ukraine give scammers an
opportunity to take advantage of our good hearts. Scammers often take advantage
of disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, wildfires, etc. to skim
off potential charitable contributions for their own pockets. And you can bet that scammers are taking advantage of the
situation in Ukraine.
The Washington State Secretary of State recently encouraged
all Washington citizens to be diligent and to research any potential charitable
contributions for Ukraine.
The Secretary of State’s Office offers the following
tips to protect your contribution:
·
Check the charity’s registration
status. You can check to see of a charity is registered with
the Secretary of State and is in good standing at this link- https://ccfs.sos.wa.gov/#/
·
Does the charity have experience and
does its mission match the need in Ukraine? Be sure that the
charity has the experience, staff, and contacts to be helpful in Ukraine. You
can look up the track record of charities on websites of watchdog organizations
such as Charity Watch- https://www.charitywatch.org/,
Charity Navigator- https://www.charitynavigator.org/,
or the Better Business Bureau at https://give.org/news/wise-giving-wednesday-tips-on-donations-to-assist-ukraine-relief-efforts.
·
Be cautious of online fundraising. Avoid
giving to charities or individuals online that you do not know. For more
information on the ins and outs of online giving check out the Secretary of
State’s Guide of Online Giving- https://www.sos.wa.gov/_assets/charities/givesmart%20online%20giving%20guide.pdf.
·
Do not share personal financial
information over the phone. This includes your credit/debit card
or bank account information. If you receive a call from someone soliciting for
a charity, do not feel pressured to give money or your personal information.
Legitimate charities will not pressure you to make an immediate donation.
For more information on protecting yourself from charity scams check out the following links,
Washington State Secretary of State:
https://www.sos.wa.gov/charities/givesmart.aspx
AARP:
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2022/tips-for-donating-to-ukraine.html
Better Business Bureau:
https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/26575-donating-to-help-ukraine-relief-activities
KIRO-TV:
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