Helping Katrina Survivors: How to Donate Safely

The devastation in the Gulf Coast is horrific. The aftermath will be worse than the initial storm...and so many of us want to help. We see someone in trouble, and we automatically want to provide whatever aid we can. This strength of spirit and generosity can help the survivors of Hurricane Katrina pick up their lives and start over. Unfortunately, our quick and wholehearted impulses to help also provide ways for swindlers to get quick, easy money...unless you donate cautiously and intelligently. Here are some ways to make sure that your online donations get to help the people in southern Louisiana and Mississipi, rather than lining some scammer’s pockets:

Do not click on links in emails or on web sites
If you see a link to the Red Cross or to any other charitable organization, don’t click on it. Type the URL directly into your browser address window. This ensures that you’re not fooled into clicking a link that may actually take you to a scammer’s web site, where they’ll either gather quick donations or harvest your credit card information. These sites can look exactly like the official ones — they may even have URLs that closely mimic the actual URL.

Do not give to charities you do not know
In the wake of a natural disaster or other tragedy, many groups can spring up to help those affected. Unfortunately, so can many groups created to trick generous-hearted people into giving away their financial information. Unless you know the charitable organization or even church group, do not donate to them — especially not through a web site.

If possible, use a separate credit card for all your online transactions
You can legally have as many bank accounts as you wish, at as many different institutions as you wish. Set up a separate checking account and get a check card. Then, use this check card only when making online financial transactions: donating to a charitable group, buying books or airline tickets, and so forth. By using a separate account for your online transactions, you can minimize any financial damage if a scammer should get your credit card number. (This will require some extra bookkeeping on your part, to make sure that you have money in this separate account whenever you want to make an online donation or purchase. However, some banks will allow you to transfer money to accounts at other financial institutions through their online banking. Check with your bank to learn their particular policies.)

Links to donate:

• www.redcross.org
• www.give.org

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