DISASTER SCAMS- Helping Victims of the L.A. Wildfires

It’s all over the news. The wildfires in Los Angeles have been closely covered over the last few days by national and local news outlets. From the horrific photos of the damage done by the fires and the heart wrenching stories of families losing their homes of many years if not decades, it makes sense that we might be motivated to want to help, often with a financial contribution.

Unfortunately, disasters are natural events for scammers to try to steal your money in the guise of helping victims of wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, etc. The scammers know the there are people who are ripe to scam. People who are motivated to do good but may not know how to give or who may be too busy Scammers prey on our empathy and our emotions to get us to give them money while they pretend to be from a charity that will help the wildfire victims.

The most important thing to do before you give money is to research the charity that you are considering.

News media have made recommendations of organizations that can help victims of the wildfires. Here are recommendations from three organizations,

KIRO TV:

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/how-help-those-impacted-by-californias-wildfires/MDPQPYA3UJEDXD6X5DBBKRGQDU/

 

Associated Press:

https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfires-palisades-eaton-los-angeles-21ca02ac9b897fd1eddef8c5e8dd3c25

 

ABC:

https://abcnews.go.com/US/california-fires-victims/story?id=117470695&utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=flipboard%2Fmagazine%2F10+For+Today

 

While these news organizations have vetted the organizations you might want to check out an organization on your own. One thing to check is if the charity is registered in the State of Washington. All charities and commercial fund raisers who solicit donations in the State of Washington must follow the Washington Charitable Solicitations Act, RCW 19.09. You can see if a specific charity is registered with the Washington Secretary of State at this link- https://www.sos.wa.gov/corporations-charities/nonprofits-charities/charities/information-donors/givesmart.

You can also research a charity’s trustworthiness and effectiveness on the Better Business Bureau’s Give.org website at-  https://give.org/.

A charity may advertise that it is a tax-exempt organization, and your donation is tax exempt. You can check to see if a charity is truly tax-exempt at this IRS web site- https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search.

 

You can also do a web search for the charity. Do a search with the name of the charity plus words like “complaint,” “review,” “rating,” or “scam.” If you find their website, review it carefully. Look for specifics about its programs, how it spends its money, the oversight of the organization, and a listing of the organization’s officers.

 

Remember

 

·         If someone calls for a charity and they pressure you to give right away, hang up.

·         Be skeptical if the charity thanks you for a donation that you do not remember making.

·         Be wary if the charity wants the donation in cash, money order, gift cards or cryptocurrency. Make your donation with your credit card.

·         If a caller cannot explain specifically what your donation will be used for or what percentage of donations is used for operations versus administration, hang up.

 

For more tips on charitable giving, check out the following sources,

 

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/donating-safely-and-avoiding-scams

 

Washington State Secretary of State:

https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/givesmart-ago-sos-handout-final-093015.pdf

 

AARP:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/charity.html?intcmp=AE-FWN-LIB1-POS7

 

BURGLARY PREVENTION- Keeping Burglars Out of Your House

 Having a home burglarized is a violating experience for the homeowner and their neighbors. Especially if your neighborhood does not experience burglaries or other crimes on a regular basis. After all, often that is why we choose a house to live in- a place where we can feel safe.

There are things you can do to prevent a burglar from entering your home, or at least make it harder for a potential burglar to enter your home.

The first thing to understand is that burglaries are crimes of opportunity. Burglars look for targets that they think will be easy to enter, grab a few things, then leave quickly without getting caught. Burglars do not like to get caught. Part of the risk assessment that they make is if the home has features that make it easy for someone to see what they are doing and then call the cops. So, if there is a sign saying the home is protected by a security system they will move on to another home.

Another indicator is if the home can be easily seen from the street. If the landscaping is overgrown obscuring the front of the house, then the burglar can hide their activity from casual passersby who could call 911 if they see something suspicious. Also, if the area around the house is not neat and picked up, the burglar may be more motivated to enter the house. Having a ladder stored outside of the house, for example, only gives the burglar a tool that he could use to enter a bedroom on the second floor.

A factor in getting caught is if someone is at home. When burglars look at a potential target, they will look for clues that there is no one at home. Blinds or curtains are open. Are there any noises such as a TV or radio playing? Some burglars will knock on the door. If someone answers, they will make an excuse such as looking for someone in the neighborhood, then move on to the next target. After all, there have been cases when an enraged homeowner catches a burglar in the home and shoots the burglar.

Ease of entering a house is also important. If a burglar cannot enter quickly or easily, they will move on to another house. One point of entry is the front door. Burglars will kick in the front door. One way to defeat a burglar at the front door is to use a dead bolt lock. Also, check the screws in the strike plate in the door frame. Many homes when they are built have strike plate screws that are under 3 to 4 inches long. Doors with screws that short are easy to kick in. Make sure the screws at the strike plate are at least 3 to 4 inches long and go deep into the door frame. 

Burglars can go around to the side of the house or to the back, especially if you have a six-foot, sight obscuring cedar fence, and enter your house through a side door or a back window. So be sure your side and back doors also have 3 to 4 screws in the strike plate. If you have a sliding glass door, a charley bar or dowl in the bottom track can help prevent a forced entry. Of course they can break a window. Placing a clear plastic film (check with your local hardware store) over your windows can help prevent a burglar from breaking one of your windows.

A security system can be a good idea to alert you, a monitoring service, and/or your neighbors that you have an intruder in your home. Be sure that your system has a loud external speaker that makes a loud siren that your neighbors can hear when you have an intruder. While monitoring services can be fast in alerting the police, many police say that the fastest most sure way to getting a police officer out to your home in time to catch the burglar is when a neighbor calls 911 and tells police that they see the burglar in action at your home. That way they know that the alarm is not a false alarm.

Cameras can help show what is going on, especially now with the capability to see the video on our phones. They can also help local police in identifying potential suspects to your burglary. Place cameras at points of ingress and egress. For example, with a view of your driveway to show people coming and going from your property. Also, views of your front door and back door to show people going into and out of your house. Where you can, place cameras inconspicuously at head level to get the best view of a person’s face. Cameras placed above head level can easily be obscured with a hat. Be familiar with your system. If you are burglarized, you will be traumatized, and you probably will be angry. Knowing how your system works will help you turn over any evidence of the crime more easily. Play with your system from time to time to ensure that you know how it works.

Be sure to develop good crime habits. Get into the habit of locking all of your doors and windows when you leave your house. Also get into the habit of arming your alarm system as you leave. This way you are using your key security devices to protect your home while you are away.

Here are some local resources with more information on home burglary prevention tips.

 

 

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6948

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/7014

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/7033