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.
