September 28, 2022
Our fellow citizens, friends and family are facing one of the most catastrophic weather events in the history of this country. As hard as this storm is churning, fraudsters are already churning up their schemes as well. Playing on the sympathy of people who want to do right and help their fellow man, these individuals see this as an opportunity to operate criminal enterprises to fraudulently obtain well intentioned donations.
• Only donate to charities you know and trust
• The State of Florida has set up the Florida Disaster Fund to respond to relief efforts. The money will be distributed to different organizations for disaster relief and recovery
• Other legitimate charities include the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities
• Research any charitable entity to determine their legitimacy
• Do not donate to anyone wanting cash donations, gift cards or by wiring money
• Do not respond to emails seeking donations.
• Some scammers use names very similar to legitimate charities
• Some scammers "spoof" telephone numbers to make it look like a real charity calling
REPORT FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY TO THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION BELOW
Information provided by the Anne Arundel County Police Department, 9-28-22