Better Business Bureau charity monitoring organization Wise Giving Alliance (Give.org), the Federal Trade Commission, state Attorneys General and state charity regulators have joined together to raise awareness about misleading organizations claiming to raise funds for veterans.
BBB state director for South Dakota Jessie Schmidt says Americans generously donate to organizations helping veterans or active duty service members. She says that’s why it’s disheartening to hear about recent actions that identified misleading appeals from charities that claimed to help service members.
Schmidt says be leery of high pressure pitches for donations.
Schmidt encourages people to do some research before you donate to an organization claiming to raise money for veterans.
Schmidt says if a charity solicitor asks for donors to send contributions using an unusual transaction method– such as wire transfer, gift cards or pre-paid debit cards– it could be a scam to enable questionable solicitors to get funds quickly.
(Dakota Radio Group)