Even as aid from around the world makes its way into earthquake-stricken Haiti, the Texas Attorney General’s Office is cautioning well-meaning residents to use great care when donating to earthquake relief efforts.
The international Red Cross estimated on Thursday that 45,000 to 50,000 people were killed in Tuesday’s magnitude-7.0 earthquake, and charitable organizations are asking for donations to help fund relief efforts.
Before reaching for their wallets to provide financial support for recovery efforts in Haiti, Texans should ask questions and check the facts, the AG’s Office said.
“By doing a little research, well-meaning Texans can ensure their dollars actually help the recovery effort – and don’t end up in the hands of a scam artist seeking to capitalize on a tragedy,” the agency said in a statement.
Residents who are solicited by telephone or e-mail and asked to make a charitable donation toward relief efforts in Haiti should keep the following in mind:
- Know the soliciting organization. Ask for credentials, including the exact name and telephone number of the organization, particularly if the charity is unfamiliar.
- Call the charity directly and confirm that the solicitor is actually associated with it.
- Be on the watch for questionable charities using names that closely resemble those of well-known charities.
- Find out how the donation will be used.
- Be wary of appeals that are long on emotion and short on descriptions about how charitable contributions will aid the recovery effort.
- Don’t succumb to high-pressure tactics and demands for an immediate decision. A legitimate charity welcomes background checks on their operations.
- Never give a credit card or bank account number to a solicitor.
- Never give cash and never agree to give money to a courier. Write a check in the name of the charity, not the soliciting individual, and get a receipt.
For information about specific relief operations now underway, Katy area residents can contact the American Institute of Philanthropy. The institute is a national charity watchdog service that assists donors with identifying reliable charitable organizations.
Information is available at the institute’s website at www.charitywatch.org.
