Local News
Hurricane Harvey Scams
If you’re going to donate money to help out victims of Hurricane Harvey make sure you are getting your money’s worth. The Federal Trade Commission and Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection both have put out warnings about pop up scams connected with the national disaster. Frank Frassetto of the state’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says there are legitimate charities out there. But there are also scammers who will take advantage of your generosity. They may contact you by phone, email or online trying to get you to give or to click on websites that may look like legitimate charities. Frassetto says most legitimate online charities end in .org and not .com. There are a couple of sites you can go to online to check out how legitimate a charity is. They include charitynavigator.org and give.org. There is also charity watch and guide star. He also recommends avoiding donating cash or wiring money to people or organizations you don’t know. You can also check if a charity is registered at the state’s Department of Financial Institution website.