There's a lot of devastation going on around the world.
From the hurricanes in Myanmar to the huge earthquake in China.
People are definitely in need.
But unfortunately, this also provides a perfect breeding ground to get caught up in a scam.
Here are some helpful tips on how not to get duped when donating.

Natural disasters tend to bring the good and the bad out in people.
Many people genuinely want to help out.
And one way to help, is to donate to a relief organization or charity.
But you need to donate wisely.

Whenever there's a natural disaster there are two things you can count on. People eager to help those in need. And fraudulent charities.

"They know that they're getting to the emotional part of the masses of people.:"

To avoid falling for this trap, the BBB offers eight tips to help you decide where to direct donations and make sure your money is going where it needs to go.

First-rely on expert opinion.
Go to the BBB website to research any charity or relief organization to verify that it is in fact legit.

"There should always be some info on any charity, whether it's a new or an old established one."

Two-Find out if the charity actually has an on-the-ground presence, like in Myanmar.

You can also check out any organization, at www.InterAction.org, the nation's largest coalition of international relief groups- to verify which groups are currently active in Myanmar.

Three-Find out who will get the donation to Myanmar and what type of assistance they will provide.

"So it goes where it should and not to the government or other entities."

Four-Be wary of claims that say - one hundred percent of donations will assist Myanmar victims.
Despite what a charity might claim, charities have fund raising and administrative costs.

Five- Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups.
That way you can avoid the middleman.

Six-Be careful when going on line

"More likely those are not legit."

Seven- Clothes, food, and other kind of donations aren't recommended.

"Money's going to more directly benefit any disaster really."

Eight-Charities are tax deductible, but only if you donate to a U.S. Based organization.



BBB WISE ALLIANCE LIST IN DETAIL:

BBB Wise Giving Alliance offers the following eight tips to help Americans decide where to direct donations and ensure that their money provides the most benefit to the victims in Myanmar:

Rely on expert opinion when it comes to evaluating a charity.
Be cautious when relying on third-party recommendations such as bloggers or other Web sites, as they might not have fully researched the listed relief organizations. The public can go to www.bbb.org/charity to research charities and relief organizations to verify that they are accredited by the BBB and meet the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Find out if the charity has an on-the-ground continuing presence in Myanmar.
Because of the stringent conditions in Myanmar, unless the charity already has staff inside the country, it will be difficult for new aid workers to attain visas and ultimately accomplish aid assistance in the country. Check out organizations at www.InterAction.org—the nation’s largest coalition of international relief organizations—to verify which aid organizations are currently active in Myanmar.

Find out who will benefit in Myanmar and what type of assistance they will be provided.
The immediate needs in Myanmar are food, water, shelter, transportation and clean-up efforts. Because it has not been determined how long organizations will be permitted to operate in Myanmar, long-term goals might not be achieved.

Be wary of claims that 100 percent of donations will assist Myanmar victims.
Despite what an organization might claim, charities have fund raising and administrative costs. Even a credit card donation will involve, at a minimum, a processing fee. If a charity claims 100 percent of collected funds will be assisting Myanmar victims, the truth is that the organization is still probably incurring fund raising and administrative expenses. They may use some of their other funds to pay this, but the expenses will still be incurred.

Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups that are active in Myanmar.
Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations that are already active in the region. If so, you may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and giving directly to charities that have a presence in the Myanmar. Or, at a minimum, check out the ultimate recipients of these donations to ensure the organizations are equipped to effectively provide aid.

Be cautious when giving on line.
Be cautious about on line giving, especially in response to spam messages and emails that claim to link to a relief organization. In response to the tsunami disaster, there were concerns raised about many Web sites and new organizations that were created overnight allegedly to help victims.

Gifts of clothing, food or other in-kind donations are not recommended.
In-kind donation assistance is not practical. Most foreign relief organizations prefer cash donations so that supplies can be purchased near the relief site. In-kind drives for food and clothing—while well intentioned—will not end up being delivered to those in need in Myanmar.

If tax deduction is a concern, donate domestically.
To help ensure your contribution is tax deductible, the donation should be made to a U.S.-based charitable organization that is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Go to IRS Publication 78 on www.irs.gov for a current list of all organizations eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable gifts.

About BBB (www.us.bbb.org)
BBB is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Reliability ReportsTM and charity BBB Wise Giving ReportsTM, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses when there is difference in viewpoints. The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 126 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring nearly 4 million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit www.us.bbb.org for more information about BBB.