California wildfires: State AG warns of price gouging and scams

California Attorney General Rob Bonta It warns wildfire victims and other Californians to be vigilant about price gouging and other scams as many scammers may try to take advantage during the crisis.

Bonta and other local leaders issued several tips to ensure victims do not fall victim to any scams as they rebuild their lives after the fires destroyed more than 12,300 homes and buildings and left at least 24 people dead. They also provided tips on how to properly screen people and donate to charities to help victims in need.

“Unfortunately, we have seen before that emergencies like these, in addition to bringing out the best in many cases, also bring out bad actors who seek to use the shock and chaos that accompanies moments like these for their own gain. They see an opportunity,” Bonta said during a conference. Press on Saturday “to pray and benefit.”

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Bonta was joined by Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell, State Senator Sasha Rene Perez and Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo during the press conference to help share important information about the crisis, including how to stay safe. . This includes being wary of fraudulent charitable and crowdfunding solicitations that may claim to help victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.

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“Good faith or otherwise, Charities and crowdfunding pages “It was formed overnight as a response to this crisis and may lack the experience, contacts and staff needed to respond to a disaster, or may be fraudulent,” Bonta’s office said in a statement.

Here are tips from Bonta and other local leaders:

• Check all licenses, certifications and reviews for contractors, adjusters and charities. Fire victims can check this out State licensing board for contractors To find licensed contractors.
• Don’t pay too much upfront for services or promises of help.
• Only use official channels to verify government representatives or relief efforts.
• Regularly review financial accounts and credit reports for suspicious activity.
• Report suspected fraud to local law enforcement or go to oag.ca.gov/report.

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How to donate correctly:

• California residents should take time to research before bidding.
• Ensure that the charity is registered on the Attorney General’s Register of Charities and Fundraising and is up to date with its financial reports by searching the Attorney General’s Register search tool, which can be found here.

• Before donating, review how much the charity spends directly on the charitable cause and how much goes to overhead expenses and employee compensation.
• If you are not familiar with the charity, contact it and ask for information in writing about how it plans to support fire victims. You must also confirm the charity’s name, address and non-profit status.
• If you plan to donate through a social network petition or through online platforms, first look to see if the money will go to a charity, the platform, or the person who set up the petition. Additionally, find out what percentage of your donation will go to the charity or charitable cause, and whether you will be charged a fee.
• If you receive a call from a telemarketer, ask for the name of the fundraising organization, whether it is registered with the Attorney General’s Office, the name of the charity benefiting from the petition, how much of your donation will go to the charity and how much to the telemarketer and the charity’s direct phone number.

• Be careful of fake organizations. Scammers may use names that closely resemble those of established charitable organizations to mislead donors.
• Look for fraudulent websites that have a web address (URL) that is slightly different from the web address of a legitimate charity. Fraudulent sites may ask you for personal information or install malicious material on your device.
• Be skeptical if someone thanks you for a pledge you never made, and always check your records.

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• Being a non-profit organization does not mean that the organization is tax-exempt, or that your donation is tax-deductible. Just because an organization has a Tax Identification Number or provides donors with a receipt that states “Keep this receipt for your records” does not mean that the organization is a charitable or tax-exempt organization, or that your donation is tax-deductible. You can check a charity’s tax-exempt status using the tools and information at Tax Authority website.
• Do not give out your Social Security number or other personal information in response to a charitable request.
• Never give credit card information to an organization you are unfamiliar with. Some organizations sell or rent their donor lists to other organizations, including organizations that are not charities. To protect yourself, you should check the charity’s privacy policy to see if your information will be shared with outside companies.