Officials are warning Americans not to fall for charity scams that pocket donations meant for Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion.
The FBI, Better Business Bureau and New York attorney general’s office are among the voices advising consumers to be wary about clicking on links in text messages, emails and digital banner ads that claim to send money directly to Ukrainian refugees.
Scammers often pounce on moments of crisis like the Russian invasion of Ukraine because that’s when Americans feel most inclined to open their pocketbooks, the FBI said in a statement emailed last week to The Washington Times.
“During times of crisis, many Americans want to help by contributing to charities, but there are scammers who will try to exploit disasters for their own gain,” the FBI statement read. “Scammers leverage crises and disasters to steal your money, your personal information or both.”
The most common scams involve phone calls, texts, emails and internet banners that promise a quick and easy donation.
The FBI says Americans can protect themselves from the scams by giving only to established charities they know, watching out for organizations with copycat names, being wary of popup charities and using the Federal Trade Commission website to track their donations.
It also helps to donate money using a check or credit card, give only to websites with a .org rather than .com address and avoid automated messages requesting personal information, the agency added.
“To help prevent yourself from becoming a victim, do your research before donating to a charity online or through social media, contributing to a crowdfunding campaign, or giving up your personal information in order to receive money or other benefits,” the FBI statement said.
The FBI also says that victims of scams should report the incident to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.
Sometimes the fake relief agencies register legally as charities to put victims at ease, then funnel donations straight into scammers’ bank accounts.
There are also crowdfunding websites that tug on victims’ heartstrings to make them click on a donation button.
The Better Business Bureau urged consumers in a statement this week to look up charities at Give.org to see if they’re real and based in Ukraine before donating.
“Unfortunately, scammers love to use times of tragedy and unrest to take advantage of kindhearted people,” Melanie Duquesnel, president of the BBB in Eastern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, said in a statement. “We know that everyone wants to help as much and as quickly as they can, but it is so important to take a pause and do your research so that you do not fall victim to a scam.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, echoed those concerns in a warning to the state’s residents on Thursday.
“At a time of great chaos, confusion and destruction, it is imperative that New Yorkers be on alert for potential risks when donating to charitable causes,” Ms. James said. “Many New Yorkers are eager to do their part to help the Ukrainian people, but scammers often take advantage of crises to exploit our generosity and compassion.”
“We will continue to do all that we can to support Ukraine, and I encourage anyone who has experienced any issues to contact my office.”
The Office of the Attorney General advised New Yorkers to verify how the charity plans to use their donations before giving.
Americans who want to help Ukrainian refugees may give through the same international relief agencies that U.S. businesses use to send corporate donations to Ukraine.
Bob Unanue, president & CEO of New Jersey-based Goya Foods, said he would encourage anyone who asked him about giving to follow that approach.
“We are working closely with Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) who are on the ground in Ukraine, Poland and Russia to safely and securely deliver food, water and supplies directly to people in need,” Mr. Unanue said in an email. “They are an amazing organization that we have worked with before during times of crisis.”
Mr. Unanue said Thursday in an appearance on “Fox and Friends” that his company is sending “hundreds of thousands of pounds” of food directly to Ukrainians through the nonprofit agency.
Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, opening the door for cybercriminals to pose as relief organizations.
The FTC website warns that other signs of fake charities include promising fictional tax deductions and sweepstakes winnings for those who give.
“Guaranteeing sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a donation is not only a scam, it’s illegal,” the FTC website says.
Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled the first name of New York Attorney General Letitia James.
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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