(WBBM NEWSRADIO) - As people look for ways to help in the wake of Hurricane Helene, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning about scammers.
“[With] every natural disaster, the scammers come out of the woodwork unfortunately,” says Steve Bernas, president and CEO of the BBB.
He says people should be mindful of callers seeking donations in the coming days.
“A lot of the times, these scammers call you out of the blue…The scammer can spoof the phone number of a charity, make it look like it's a calling from a well known charity,” Bernas warns.
He adds texts and social media posts can also be traps.
“Please don't click on any links, Bernas urges. “It may look like a charity, but it’s actually going to a scammer’s website.”
“These criminals are good. They know what they are doing. They're all over the world and they're very hard to detect. They always take advantage of situations like this.”
His advice: Use the BBB's give.org website to verify charities or go directly to a charity's website to donate.
Because of the protection they provide for transactions, Bernas says always use a credit card when making a donation.
If interested in helping with recovery efforts, click here.
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