Voice of the consumer: Amid tragedy, be on guard for fake support organizations

Our 11 News Call For Action team pens a weekly column for our news partner The Gazette. Previous columns can be found here.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Our community is in mourning following the tragic deadly mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs.

A lot of us want to help the victims and their families, and I want to make sure you do not fall for any scams. Unfortunately, I’ve warned you before that scammers are quick to come out of the woodwork following natural disasters and tragedies like this one. I talked with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to share some advice we should keep in mind right now.

“It’s important to know scammers take advantage of vulnerable people,” said Adah Rodriguez, the vice president of development-operations, Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado.

“Unfortunately, tragedies are a time for scammers to prey on vulnerable people, whether they’re impersonating a nonprofit and asking for donations, scammers are out there, unfortunately, and to be very vigilant when you want to give and support.”

Crowdfunding websites are very popular, and many of them take steps to screen and vet postings, but the BBB warns some might not.

“Crowdfunding sites are definitely risky,” said Rodriguez. “It’s impossible to know exactly where the funds are going. It’s also impossible (to know) what percentage of your funds are going there, or if they are legit. We do recommend using a reputable local organization that you can verify is legit and that the funds are going directly to support those you want to support.”

It’s important to do your homework before you make a donation.

“Most importantly, research,” said Rodriguez. “I can’t encourage enough to do your research before you give and you donate. I definitely encourage to give and support those during this tragic event, but do it in a way that is safe and secure, so you’re making your money work correctly in getting to the right place.

“So do your research, you can get a list of recommendations off the BBB, and you can also do research in other ways, or use an organization that you are very familiar with, from personally or friends’ involvement here locally.”

Sadly, scams pick up after tragic events.

“We do unfortunately see an increase in scams after tragic events, after natural disasters, especially natural disasters that hit a large area,” she added. “We see worldwide scams go up that are attempting to solicit donations from consumers that actually want to give, and pulling on the heartstrings of those that truly do care about supporting these victims.”

We have a link to the Colorado Healing Fund, a verified fundraiser for Club Q. You can find more information at kktv.com by clicking on “Find It.”

Also, I know a lot of us are shopping online for some of the best deals for holiday gifts. Make sure to do your research and watch for scams. “That might be as simple as putting the name of a retailer in a search bar with the word, ‘scam,’ ‘fraud,’ or ‘complaint’, especially if you’re not familiar with the retailer,” said Mark Fetterhoff, AARP ElderWatch Colorado. “I think it’s critical if you do something like that to see if there are previous frauds or scams reported as part of the entity you’re trying to do business with.”

You can report scams, fraud and price gouging to the Colorado attorney general’s statewide helpline at 800-222-4444.

Click here to read the original column on gazette.com.

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