ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Many across Central Florida are looking for ways to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey, but unfortunately, scammers are also waiting to profit from other people’s generosity.
"It's a time of need and scammers take advantage of that time. Scammers want to make sure that they're targeting people when they're not aware. When their walls are down,” said Erika Urdaneta, with the Better Business Bureau.
If people don't want to give to the big organizations like the American Red Cross or Salvation Army, Urdaneta suggests doing homework. Check the status of a charity using the state of Florida's charity checker website and/or check the BBB scam tracker tool.
“Make sure that this charity has a foundation from previous years or the past, not a pop up charity," Urdaneta said.
[ >>> BBB scam prevention tips <<< ]
She said people should be aware of crowdfunding websites like GoFundMe, Youcaring or Crowdwise. Urdaneta said some of the fundraising efforts may be legitimate, but it's hard to tell.
"Crowd funding websites often don't vet who is asking for donations,” Urdaneta said. “It's best for that person if they're using a crowd funding website to give that you give to someone that you personally know."
Urdaneta said to be leery of aggressive requests for money and if someone comes across a scam, report it to the state or the Better Business Bureau.
Here are a list of reputable places to donate:
[ OneBlood ]
[ City of Houston ]
[ United Way ]