As the nation mourned for victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, scam artists who prey on human tragedy were cashing in already.
Within three days of the Dec. 14 shootings, the SANS Internet Storm Center watchdog site warned of related scams and malware attacks. The family of one Sandy Hook victim, 6-year-old Noah Pozner, quickly learned of a phony site using the boy's name in the Web address to solicit donations in his memory.
The site has since been shut down, with an official site seeking donations for the boy's siblings now in place at http://www.noahpozner.org. Yet the threat remains, so temper your good intentions with skepticism before donating to any of the funds for victims.
"Part of the challenge here," says Ken Berger, president and CEO or Charity Navigator, a website that evaluates U.S. charities, "is there are a number of local efforts. There are some investigations into those and some appear more reputable than others."
The state attorney general's office and Department of Consumer Protection also have warned about potential scams. "Unfortunately," said Attorney General George Jepsen in a prepared statement, "it's also time when bad actors may seek to exploit those coping with this tragedy."
Next time you're ready to donate, and the year's final two weeks are always the biggest for charities, make sure your money gets into the right hands. Here's a game plan.
How to research a charity:
>> Start with Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org), which rates thousands of charities on a four-star scale.
>> The Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance (www.bbb.org/us/charity) lists a charity's history, how it distributes contributions, financial information and any complaints.
>> Charity Watch (www.charitywatch.org), formerly known as American Institute of Philanthropy, is another online watchdog site that tracks charities.
When you can't research a charity:
>> The local pop-up charities will not be found in any of the charity clearinghouse databases. So: "Unless you live in the local community, nearby Newtown," says Berger, "and you know the people involved in the fund-raising efforts, you have a lot of risk. You just can't really know because there is no real vetting. For people who are further away, we recommend you look for charities with a track record."
Where to avoid solicitations:
>> Facebook. It's a favorite roost for scam artists. Don't be fooled by charities with authentic-sounding names or dot-org addresses. "They might be legitimate," says Berger, "but the key word in there is the 'm' word, might. And they also might not be. They're too small, too new to really be known, to really be trusted unless you are right there and you know the people."
>> Social media. It's not just Facebook. Avoid solicitations that pop up on Twitter, Craigslist and other sites.
>> Unsolicited email. Don't fall for it, even if the sender appears to be from a recognized charity. And don't open any attachments.
>> Copycat organizations. The phony Noah Ponzer site showed how convincing the scam artists' work can be — when in doubt visit a site like Charitynavigator.org and access the legitimate charity links there.
>> Fundraising sites. "It seems to be dangerous waters when someone looks at a fundraising website, as opposed to a charity website," says Howard Schwartz of the Connecticut Better Business Bureau. "Some red flags include bad grammar and spelling mistakes, but they also may have credit card and online payment system logos which have been placed there to lend authenticity."
Never:
>> Give out personal information to anyone soliciting donations.
>> Donate cash.
>> Write a check payable to the person soliciting donations.
Always:
>> Choose the charity. Don't let the charity choose you.
>> Research the charity (see above).
>> Contact the charity directly instead of clicking on links in an email or an unfamiliar website.
>> Question if a pop-up charity can better use your money than an established charity.
It's OK to ask:
>> How the donations will be used.
>> If a fund set up by one of the victims' families is actually set up as a charity and if money received will be overseen by a local bank, lawyer or financial professional.
>> If you're donating to a tax-exempt charity. If it isn't, your donation is not deductible on your federal income tax returns.
Some legitimate charities for the victims of the Newtown tragedy::
>> Sandy Hook School Support Fund
c/o Newtown Savings Bank
39 Main Street, Newtown CT 06470
https://newtown.uwwesternct.org
(Established by United Way of Western Connecticut)
>> Newtown Youth & Family Services
Sandy Hook School Support Fund
15 Berkshire Road
Sandy Hook, CT 06482
http://www.newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org
>> Kids in Crisis
One Salem Street
Cos Cob, CT 06807
>> American Red Cross Connecticut Region
17 Roberts Ave.
Danbury, CT 06810
>> Save The Children
54 Wilton Road
Westport, CT 06880
http://www.savethechildren.org
>> DonorsChoose.org
213 W 35th, 2nd FloorEast
New York, NY 10001
>> Alliance For Justice
11 Dupont Circle NW
2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20036
