People stand on the beach watching the heavy surf caused by the approaching Hurricane Sandy, on October 28, 2012 in Cape May, New Jersey. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
(WXIA) -- Hurricane Sandy is already showing herself and its perfect timing as a prime target for scammers.
11Alive's Help Desk is here ready to provide you with some donation tips that can aid in prevention to an already devastating situation.
The Better Business Bureau developed a program called the Wise Giving Alliance. They assist donors in making informed decisions on the charities they want to contribute too. They also publish a quarterly magazine providing information on charities that meet the standards for the Alliance's National Charity seal program.
MORE | Help Desk Resource Page: Beware of Hurricane Sandy Scams
Here are a couple of tips:
Be very careful when contributing online via mail, spam or social media sites. You should go directly to the website of the Charity you want to contribute too. To research any charity to verify that they are accredited, you can go to the BBB at www.bbb.org/charity
You should be especially cautious with blog or websites that invite you to contribute. Take heed when an organization states that 100% of the funds go to the hurricane fund...there are always administrative cost involved in any charity group. Also, some charities raise funds for other groups. You may want to cut out the middleman and give directly to the organization itself.
Contributions to Hurricane Sandy are welcome at the BBB website under the Wise Giving Alliance. Please go to http://atlanta.bbb.org/find-a-bbb/ for further information and continue to come to our website to stay updated on Hurricane Sandy.