Four Tips to Avoid Nepal Earthquake Relief Scams
Nepal is slowly getting back on its feet after the devastating calamity that struck on April 25 2015. The earthquake was a monstrous 7.9 on the Richter scale. According to various news sources, nearly 8 million people were affected by the earthquake. And the death toll is close to 4,800 people. In this grave hour of crisis, help from all over the world came pouring in for the people in Nepal. Many organizations have also stepped up to raise funds in the form of donations to help the affected people. A glaring example is Facebook, which has started a campaign urging users to come forward and support the victims. So, if you too are thinking to make a donation to any charitable organization, ensure that your money goes into the right hands. It is highly probable that scammers and cyber thugs will soon come up with disaster-relief scams to trick people. Hence, here are a few key rules to follow and keep in mind before you donate.
Only trust organizations you know
It is safer to donate to well-known and well-established charitable organizations. Avoid newly created startups. You might be approached by many non-profit groups. Do a little bit of research on these groups before you proceed.
Beware of charity requests on email or social media
The social media has proved to be one of the most powerful tools when it comes to moving people together towards a cause. So, you can expect posts on your timeline having pitiful images and videos urging you to make a donation by clicking on a link. Before you proceed, verify the name of the organization or the website that has make this request. Run a Google search on it, enquire about it with your friends or someone you know from Nepal itself. Doing this is important because you do not want to land on a fake website and hand over your bank account details to a scammer.
Avoid pop-up ads or notification messages on websites
You might also come across pop-up ads on certain websites you visit, asking for your help towards the Nepal earthquake relief. It is always recommend to avoid clicking on such pop-up windows, because it is highly probable that these are fake or are designed to drop a malware on your system.
Refer to trusted sources to verify charitable organizations
Charity Navigator, Guidestar and the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance are websites that help you run a quick background check on charitable organizations. Also, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (an association of charities that plays an important role in accrediting charities), has also released a list of verified charities who are collecting contributions to assist Nepal relief efforts. Here’s the list.
For now, a convenient and safe way to donate to Nepal earthquake relief is via Facebook. You must have received a notification on your timeline about the same. Here’s hoping a speedy recovery for all the folks in Nepal and people in India who were too affected by this incident.