GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is urging consumers to do their research before sending money to a charity claiming to help those affected by the Russian invasion on Ukraine.
While some charities are doing a lot to support people in Ukraine, not everything you see is completely honest.
“This is not uncommon when there’s a crisis and people are trying to move money quickly…Wisconsinites are likely to want to donate and try to help the people of Ukraine, so we’re concerned people may be defrauded,” said DATCP Consumer Protection administrator Lara Sutherlin. “What they look like is – what all of these scams look like, which is trying to impersonate somebody you trust…Sometimes they’ll use the name of a charity you recognize and change it a little bit, or they’ll hvea a fake website that looks like the charity you want but it’s actually part of the scam.”
Sutherlin says if you want to give money to the right places, you might have to do some digging.
“There are some great resources online to look up charities – to determine whether or not it’s the charity you want to give to. It gives you information about the fees they charge, the timing of the donations, and what your money is actually going to,” Sutherlin said. “Make sure they don’t have a lot of fees that are really taking all of your money instead of it going to the place you want it to go.”
Sutherlin says it’s important to do a bit of research because we’re already seeing an influx of fake charities and scams on social media and crowdfunding websites.
“We’re not surprised. Because any time that you’re going to see immediacy, the movement of money, the government involved sometimes, and you see a lot of misinformation or disinformation, that’s where scams are really fertile,” Sutherlin told WTAQ News. “Any time that somebody cares and they’re invested in something, that’s another place where scammers are going to tap into that caring, tap into that lack of information, and tap into the fact that you’re sending money somewhere. All of that is a mixture for deception.”
The best way to prevent falling victim to a scam? Educating yourself.
“Know what these scams look like. When you’re donating, go slowly, do your research, and make sure you are giving to an entity that you want to be giving to,” Sutherlin said.
Look up charities by name at charitynavigator.org or www.give.org. If you question the legitimacy of a charity, seek out contact information for the operation rather than using the contact information provided in the pitch or search listing.
Under Wisconsin state law, most organizations soliciting for charitable donations must register and file an annual report with the DFI. To check if a charity is registered, visit the DFI website, email: DFICharitableOrgs@dfi.wisconsin.gov, or call: (608) 267-1711.
For additional information or to file a complaint, visit the DATCP’s Consumer Protection Bureau at http://datcp.wi.gov, send an e-mail to DATCPHotline@wisconsin.gov, or call the Wisconsin Consumer Protection Hotline toll-free at 1-800-422-7128.
