Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Thursday encouraged residents to follow a few steps to avoid scammers when donating money or goods to assist the people of Ukraine.
“As Pennsylvanians rally to support the victims of war in Ukraine, you can follow three simple steps to make sure your generosity goes to people in need, not to the scammers,” he said in a news release. “Too often during humanitarian emergencies, scammers try to tug at the heartstrings of people who want to help, only to line their own pockets. My office wants to ensure that your hard earned dollars and donations go to the right places that can do the most for those in need.”
Shapiro said the steps are simply to ask questions, double check information and be careful with payment methods.
Among the questions Shapiro recommends is where the donation will specifically go. He said charities should always be able to provide specific information on what the donation will fund.
Other questions include asking for the employee identification number for US-based charities and seeking who exactly is soliciting the donation – Shapiro said scammers will try to get donations without answering the name of the group they are calling on behalf of.
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