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Beware of scam charities asking for money due to coronavirus, AG says

Posted at 12:10 PM, Mar 24, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-18 23:10:19-04

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is warning Hoosiers about making donations during the coronavirus pandemic, as some of them could be scams.

  • To avoid falling victim to scams across the state, Hill recommended taking the following actions:
  • Beware of callers who claim to be endorsed by the state.
  • Don’t be pressured to make a donation over the phone.
  • Research each organization or cause to which you might wish to donate.
  • Do not share personal information or financial information in response to unsolicited emails, texts or phone calls.
  • Be sure to ask how much of your donation will go directly to the program you want to help.
  • If you are making a donation, make it by check or credit card rather than cash.
  • Go to a charity’s verified website and consider donating directly through the website. Legitimate donation websites should begin with “https” rather than just “http.”

You can also look up more information about charities on a few websites, such as give.org, guidestar.org, charitywatch.org and charitynavigator.org.

If you know of a scam in Indiana, you can report it to the Consumer Protection Division. For more information, call 1-800-382-5516.