Helping attack victims through online donations
ScamBusters reports that in the wake of this attack, some opportunists are trying to take advantage of your goodness to line their own pockets.
From somewhere, spams are hitting emailboxes encouraging charitable folks to donate money online to help out the victims and survivors of the attacks, as well as the ongoing rescue efforts. But! Some of these sites and return email addresses are not sending their money to any true national organization - they just want your credit card and personal information for their own uses.
The American Red Cross has its own section on the website for direct online donations, as well as a toll-free number. The Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross is encouraging bay area residents to donate through them.
Retailers Amazon, Yahoo!, and Paypal amon others, have set up a channel to collect donations. Because these sites are used to consumers making secure payments, they provide secure environments for transactions.
Largo-based web company Paybyweb is authorized to collect online donations for the Red Cross as well.
Other local organizations collecting donations include:
United Way National Response
United Way of Hillsborough County
1000 N. Ashley Drive, Suite 800
Tampa, Florida 33602
United Way of Pinellas County
18401 U.S. Highway 19 N
Clearwater, Florida 33764
The Salvation Army
1603 North Florida Ave.
Tampa, FL 33602
Of course any help - especially financial support - is always welcome, especially during a time of national crisis. But in your anxiousness to help, take the time to make sure that a website, company or organization that claims to be passing on your gifts really is doing so. The
Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance cna help you find out more about a group. In Florida, non-profits must be registered with the Department of Consumer Services.
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