With fires continuing to rage in Los Angeles and a current death toll of 24, citizens around the country have their eyes glued to screens displaying heartwrenching videos of residents fleeing their homes. These videos and interviews describe apocalyptic situations and stories of families escaping with only the clothes on their backs. In such times of crisis, many feel called to support their fellow man with financial donations. Instagram and Facebook are flooded with a menagerie of charities claiming to support victims of the fires and first responders. Unfortunately, not all of these charities are what they claim to be.ย
โIn the midst of terrible natural disasters such as the wildfires impacting the greater Los Angeles area, scammers often take advantage of generous acts in exchange for personal gain,โ said Attorney General James. โWhile it is inspiring to see so many New Yorkers eager to help, I encourage them to be cautious of sham charities that prey on peopleโs generosity and ensure that they are giving to trustworthy organizations and groups. We will continue to do everything we can to support victims of this terrible tragedy and I urge anyone who experiences any issues when donating to contact my office.โ
Attorney General James reminds New Yorkers to never divulge personal information online to an unvetted source, and to use caution when choosing to share information. She also reminds New Yorkers to ask how their donation will be used, to check charities at disasterphilanthropy.org/, and to give directly to the organization through a check or through their website, not through cash.
Those who experience issues when donating can contact the Attorney Generalโs office at 1-800-771-7755 or by going to ag.ny.gov/contact-attorney-general-letitia-james. If you believe an organization is a scam, contact the Charities Bureau by calling 212-416-8401.

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