New York Warns Be Careful When Donating to Help Ukraine

New York State Attorney General Letitia James is warning residents to be careful as they try to help the Ukrainian people under the Russian invasion.

James cautions big-hearted New Yorkers should be wary of sham charities attempting to take advantage of the humanitarian crisis and people’s compassion.

People looking to help should be careful when giving through social media or other fundraising sites and do research into the identity of the organizer of the effort.

Be especially wary if you are solicited by email. Go directly to that charity’s website without clicking on a link to find out more about them.

Donate to charities you are familiar with and check details on how donations are spent.

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Be wary of newly formed organizations. While some may have good intentions, they may not have the experience to be able to follow through on their stated goals or might just be total scams.

Don’t give cash that can’t be traced and be careful before giving credit card or personal information by phone text message or the internet, making sure you are familiar with the organization and that their fundraising campaign is legitimate.

If you suspect an organization is misrepresenting its work or there is a fundraising scam taking place, you can contact the Attorney General’s Charities Bureau at complaints@ag.ny.gov.