Police, BBB Warning of Post-Bombing Scams

Area police departments are warning residents to be on alert for potential fundraising scams and websites passing out misinformation about Monday's Boston Marathon bombing.

It has become a reality that following tragedies such as Boston, the Newtown school shooting and the Colorado movie theater shooting, scam artists will attempt to take advantage of the generosity of those looking to help the victims and their families, police say.

Merrimack and Bedford police departments in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security and the National Cybersecurity and Communication Integrity Center alerted resident to the possibility of fraudulent websites seeking donations for the bombing victims and recommended people avoid solicitations via social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Exeter Police sent a similar warning to residents, regarding the registration of fake domains intended to mislead people looking for more information and ways to help.

"In addition to fake domains," Exeter Police said, people with malicious intent "may also create fake social media accounts. Twitter account @_BostonMarathon was created shortly after the explosions took place. The account stated it would donate $1 for each retweet, and was crafted to closely resemble the legitimate Boston Marathon Twitter account (@BostonMarathon). This account has since been suspended by Twitter; however, the likelihood that similar social media accounts will surface remains high."

The NCCIC recommends:

• All persons looking to donate money in support of those affected by Monday's events rely on official fund raising charities such as the American Red Cross.
• Exercise caution when clicking on links or interacting with social media accounts that claim to represent the best interest of those involved in this incident.
• When searching for updates on the story, it is safest to go directly to trusted news sources rather than conducting general search engine inquires.
• Those attempting to donate should seek established, well-known organizations.

Any suspicious solicitation activity should be reported to the New Hampshire Information & Analysis Center Office: 603-223-3859 for further assessment and review -or- contact your local police department to file a report.

If you are not sure about an organization asking for donations to support victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, please contact Amherst Police Department at 673-4900.

Further, the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance shared 10 tips to guide people looking to help the victims of Monday's bombing.

1. Thoughtful Giving

Take the time to check out the charity to avoid wasting your generosity by donating to a questionable or poorly managed effort. The first request for a donation may not be the best choice. Be proactive and find trusted charities that are providing assistance.

2. Help Spread the Wise Giving Word

Remind your friends and family to be cautious about giving requests in the wake of such a tragedy and ask them to spread the word as well. People are emotionally moved by events like these and may react before they have time to carefully consider.

3. State Government Registration

About 40 of the 50 states require charities to register with a state government agency (usually a division of the State Attorney General’s office) before they solicit for charitable gifts. If the charity is not registered, that may be a significant red flag.

4. Respecting Victims and Their Families

Organizations raising funds should get permission from the families to use either the names of the victims and/or any photographs of them. Some charities raising funds for the Colorado movie theater and Newtown school victims did not do this and were the subject of criticism from victims’ families.

5. How Will Donations Be Used?

Watch out for vague appeals that don’t identify the intended use of funds. For example, how will the donations help victims’ families? Also, unless told otherwise, donors will assume that funds collected quickly in the wake of a tragedy will be spent just as quickly. See if the appeal identifies when the collected funds will be used.

6. What if a Family Sets Up Its Own Assistance Fund?

Some families may decide to set up their own assistance funds. Be mindful that such funds may not be set up as charities. Also, make sure that collected monies are received and administered by a third party such as a bank, CPA or lawyer. This will help provide oversight and ensure the collected funds are used appropriately (e.g., paying for funeral costs, counseling, and other tragedy-related needs.)

7. Online Cautions

Never click on links to charities on unfamiliar websites or in texts or emails. These may take you to a lookalike website where you will be asked to provide personal financial information or to click on something that downloads harmful malware into your computer. Don’t assume that charity recommendations on Facebook, blogs or other social media have already been vetted.

8. Financial Transparency

After funds are raised for a tragedy, it is even more important for organizations to provide an accounting of how funds were spent. Transparent organizations will post this information on their websites so that anyone can find out and not have to wait until the audited financial statements are available sometime in the future.

9. Newly Created or Established Organizations

This is a personal giving choice, but an established charity will more likely have the experience to quickly address the circumstances and have a track record that can be evaluated. A newly formed organization may be well-meaning but will be difficult to check out and may not be well-managed.

10. Tax Deductibility

Not all organizations collecting funds to assist this tragedy are tax exempt as charities under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donors can support these other entities but keep this in mind if they want to take a deduction for federal income tax purposes. In addition, contributions that are donor-restricted to help a specific individual/family are not deductible as charitable donations, even if the recipient organization is a charity.