MID-HUDSON – District Attorneys
in Dutchess and Ulster counties are warning local residents to be cautious
when receiving requests for donations to aid the victims of Hurricane
Harvey in Texas.
Dutchess DA William Grady said the only way to insure that a contribution is made to a legitimate organization is to donate to an established charity.
“If anyone feels that an attempt to solicit donations is being made that is not legitimate, they should immediately call the Dutchess County Sheriff, the New York State Police or their local law enforcement agency and advise them,” Grady said.
Ulster DA Holley Carnright offered several consumer tips before making a donation:
Do not respond to any spam e-mail or click on links contained within those messages;
Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as survivors or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites;
Verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations;
Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses;
Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf;
Do not give personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions.
Spam e-mail can be forwarded to spam@uce.gov and then deleted. Consumer Affairs can be reached at 845-340-3260.
