If donating to support protests, be sure you’re not getting scammed, safety expert says
From New York City to Atlanta to Houston, major cities have been marked by protests following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and other unarmed African-Americans.
While thousands take to the streets to march against police violence and racial injustice, others are opening up their wallets to donate. Various campaigns have popped up to support the cause, but crime prevention expert Rania Mankarious is warning folks to beware of fraudsters looking to profit off people’s pain.
“There are a lot of scammers who absolutely thrive when we deal with a national issue filled with emotion,” Mankarious, CEO of Crime Stoppers of Houston, told McClatchy News. “That’s why it’s such an important discussion to be had right now.”
Crowdsourcing and social media campaigns are among the easiest ways to give.
As of Thursday, the official GoFundMe campaign for Floyd — a 46-year-old black man who died in police custody May 25 after a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes — had raised over $14 million in donations. Derek Chauvin, the officer seen on video pinning down Floyd, has since been fired and charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He remains jailed with bail set at $1.25 million.
The GoFundMe for Floyd has since surpassed its original $1.5 million goal and become the platform’s most successful fundraiser, according to Insider.
There have also been calls for justice in the deaths of Taylor, who was fatally shot in her sleep as officers executed a no-knock warrant at her Louisville home in March, and Arbery, the Georgia man chased down and killed by two white men while jogging through his neighborhood, according to police. There is a GoFundMe for Arbery along with a GoFundMe for Taylor.
Mankarious says giving is a great way to show support for a cause. But here’s what she advises doing before you hit “donate.”
Do your homework
If you want to give, take the time to ensure you’re donating through a reputable source before giving your money away, Mankarious said.
“Pause for a moment, and do your research,” she told McClatchy News. “If it’s a local charity with a brick and mortar, one that you know and you’ve seen and has been working, that’s wonderful. But if the nature of the situation does not allow for that, then really spend your time making phone calls, making sure you’re talking to a reputable charity.”
The Federal Trade Commission offers some examples of tricks that scammers may try to pull, including:
- “Some scammers try to trick you into paying them by thanking you for a donation that you never made.”
- “Scammers make lots of vague and sentimental claims but give no specifics about how your donation will be used.”
- “Guaranteeing sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a donation, (which) is not only a scam, it’s illegal.”
Know where your donations are going
Mankarious also stressed the importance of knowing where your money is going and how it will be used.
For example, donations made to the Minnesota Freedom Fund will be used to cover “criminal bail and immigration bond for those who cannot afford to as we seek to end discriminatory, coercive and oppressive jailing,” the organization’s website states.
It’s “not just that you’ll be giving to a charity whose mission is one you want to support,” Mankarious explained, “but also that your dollars will actually be going toward that mission.”
Report suspected fraud ASAP
Protecting yourself from fraud isn’t always fool-proof.
Crowdsourcing sites like GoFundMe have ways of protecting donors from fraudulent campaigns, but some schemes are still successful. A fundraiser launched by New Jersey couple Katelyn McClure and Mark D’Amico on behalf of homeless veteran Johnny Bobbitt collected $400,000 in donations before it was revealed to be a hoax hatched by all three.
If you fear you’ve been duped out of your dollars, Mankarious said it’s important to contact the appropriate agencies right away, whether that be the donation platform or your personal bank.
“We also tell people that if you’re going to give online, don’t use a debit card,” she explained. “Use a credit card. So contact that credit card and let them know” of the fraudulent charge.
Mankarious said it’s also helpful to contact the local attorney general’s office.
“A lot of the offices of the attorney general across the country are keeping track of these types of claims,” she said. “And if it gets large enough, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) is going to look at it as well. So it’s really important that you keep track and that you do contact the various agencies.”