tips to avoid Haiti relief scams

Within 24 hours of the Haitian earthquake, scammers were at work trying to profit from the disaster. The scams ranged from e-mails asking donors for help to phone calls soliciting funds to phony relief websites harvesting credit card numbers.

Whenever there is a natural disaster, there are two things you can count on, says Art Taylor, president of the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, a nonprofit consumer group. "The first is the generosity of Americans to donate time and money to help victims, and the second is the appearance of poorly run, and in some cases fraudulent, charities," he says in a statement on the group’s Website.

More than 400 Internet addresses related to Haiti have been registered since Monday's devastating quake, Internet security expert Joel Esler told ABC News. Some of those websites may be legitimate, but many others are fraudulent.

“Not only do Americans need to be concerned about avoiding fraud, they also need to make sure their money goes to competent relief organizations that are equipped and experienced to handle the unique challenges of providing assistance,” Taylor says.

Here are five tips, culled from information from the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Better Business Bureau, to ensure your donation reaches its destination:

• Stick to well-known, reputable charities. The American Institute of Philanthropy recently published their list of top Haiti relief organizations, and Charity Navigator evaluates charities with a four-star rating system. The BBB also accredits charities based on fund-raising practices and how the charities spend the funds.

• Be cautious when donating online. Scammers can put up a website and open a PayPal account overnight, so be wary of donating on sites you don’t recognize. Also remember that most nonprofit groups' Websites end in .org rather than .com. Don’t respond to unsolicited e-mails, and don’t click links or open attachments from people you don’t know since they may contain computer viruses.

• Donate to organizations, not individuals. Be skeptical of individuals who approach you – in person, on phone, or via e-mail – asking for money. Some may pose as an official or represent a charity.

• Check the charity out. Find out if it has on-the-ground presence in Haiti, and ask how your funds will be used. If a charity doesn’t already have staff in Haiti, it may find it difficult or take a long time to provide immediate assistance.

• Give money, not food, clothing, or equipment. Although well intentioned, donations of food and clothing are inefficient ways to help victims quickly, when transportation and distribution are taken into account. Give money and let the experts determine how best to use it.

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How to help relief efforts for Haiti

Disaster relief and non-governmental organizations:

• Action Against Hunger has mobilized an emergency response and has teams already on the ground, assessing and responding to needs;
• You can make a donation through the American Red Cross' International Response Fund, and it will be allocated specifically for Haiti relief efforts;
• Doctors Without Borders needs donations to provide crucial medical treatment and supplies;
• Habitat for Humanity has been working in Haiti for 26 years, and will be sending a team to assess the impact on affordable housing after the earthquake. To make a donation, go here;
• Mercy Corps has a way for you to donate your money straight to their efforts in Haiti, and Unicef also has a donation site set up;
• Project HOPE, which provide medical supplies and health care services to those in need, is seeking donations for their aid efforts in Haiti;
• Quisqueya International Organization Freedom & Development, founded by a former Peace Corps volunteer, is on-the-ground, assisting with relief efforts;
• The United Nations World Food Program has teams "already on the scene, mobilizing emergency food assistance to families." To support these efforts, you can make an emergency donation here;
• The United Way is accepting online donations to their United Way Worldwide Disaster Fund, which will directly benefit their relief efforts in Haiti;
• Yele, an organization set up by musician Wyclef Jean, a native Haitian, is an additional option.

Faith-based organizations:

• American Jewish World Service is collecting donations for its "Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund," which will help "their network of grantees in Haiti to meet the urgent needs of the population based on real-time, on-the-ground assessments;"
• Baptist Global Response, which coordinates the mercy efforts of the Southern Baptist Convention, is sending a team from Florida to help for its initial outreach. In addition to donations, the organization asks that concerned individuals join in focused prayer for Haiti's 9 million people;

• Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has made an initial commitment of 5 million dollars for immediate use in the relief effort. According to their press release, the CRS offices in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, "were shaken, with some damage to the compound walls, but there were no injuries in the building." Donations can be made via their website or by phone at 1-877-HELP-CRS 1-877-HELP-CRS 1-877-HELP-CRS ;
• Christian Aid Ministries, an Amish-Mennonite organization, has had staff and a distribution network in Haiti for over 20 years. To help earthquake survivors, they are providing search and rescue operations, emergency supplies such as medicines and food, and later on rebuilding of houses. Donations are being accepted through mail or credit card;
• Compassion International, the world's largest Christian child development program, serves 64,000 sponsored children in Haiti, most near the earthquake zone. Their website allows donors to earmark contributions for Haiti;
• The Episcopal Diocese of New York, which has Haitian congregations and a partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, is collecting aid both through the diocese and through the national denomination's Episcopal Relief and Development;
• Islamic Relief USA, in coordination with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is flying a $1 million shipment of aid to Haiti. To donate to their "Haiti Emergency" fund, visit their website or call (888) 479-4968;
• The Lutheran Church Missouri -- Synod along with their mercy arm, LCMS World Relief and Human Care, announced it was making an initial grant of tens of thousands of dollars available to meet emergency needs. Support their efforts by making a donation here;
• Operation Blessing International also has disaster relief teams on the way. A donation of $50 or more will bring emergency food, water, medicine and more to the quake victims;
• The Salvation Army is also sending personnel and supplies to assist in the relief effort, and is in need of donations;
• Samaritan's Purse, the international aid and development group headed by Rev. Franklin Graham, landed a medical supplies flight with teams of emergency medical workers Wednesday morning and will begin pouring in additional aid as needs become clear.
• The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has long been working in Haiti. To support their relief efforts, go here;
• World Vision, a Christian humanitarian charity organization, is also working to help children and families devastated by the quake. To learn more about their efforts and to donate, visit their website.

The fastest way to donate may be by text. Here are several options:

• Text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross relief efforts;
• Text Yele to 501 501 to donate $5;
• Text HAITI to 864833 to donate $5 to United Way Worldwide's disaster fund for long-term recovery.

There are so many options available that it's hard to create accurate lists, but we want to point out a couple worthwhile efforts. Take a minute to check these out if you haven't had luck with the sites we mentioned:

• Nick Zantop, a blogger, photographer and globetrotter who says she grew up in the Caribbean, has pulled together a comprehensive list of possibilities on Facebook and her blog, ItsJustLight.com;
• MSNBC has a nice list pulled together;
• First Coast News in Jacksonville, Fla., has a good list for folks local to the region;
• LoHud.com also has a round-up, focusing on efforts in New York's Lower Hudson Valley.

How best to help

The Center of International Disaster Information (CIDI) says that "cash is best" for individuals and organizations interested in making contributions to help the victims of the earthquake.

Additionally, interested donors can visit InterAction.org to obtain their list of credible responding agencies for international emergencies, and www.give.org or CharityNavigator.org to get valuable information on making informed decisions when supporting charities.

The White House has also set up a webpage with information on how to help.

***UPDATE: The Salvation Army's Bob Poff, Director of Disaster Services for Haiti, who is on-the-ground, and Lt. Col. Dan Starrett will be available from 2:30-3:30 p.m. ET today to address your questions about the crisis in Haiti. Send your questions in advance by leaving a comment below, or check back later today for the live chat.*** Source: http://www.ayitinou.com/article-posts/29-haitian-articles/1419-help-haitians-help-haiti-credible-organization-list-you-can-donate-to.html

Haiti Emergency Contact Phone Numbers

We have a group of people going to Haiti on Friday and if you still want to know about one of your families, please Send us your Name and phone number, the person name, phone number, and address to Haiti earthquake family search

Anyone attempting to connect with family members or friends traveling or living in the region should call the On Call International hotline: 800-576-5172. Or, they can call On Call International collect at 603-328-1924. Callers should have as much information as possible readily available at the time of call, including tour operator name, itineraries, hotel information or cell phone numbers.

U.S. citizens in Haiti can call the Embassy’s Consular Task Force at 509-2229-8942, 509-2229-8089, 509-2229-8322, or 509-2229-8672.

Call Radio Caraibes FM for help: 718-355-9893, 509-221-9435, 509-224-0647

To get help or find information in Haiti call: 1888-404-4747 or 202-332-4090, you can also call signal FM at: 305-407-2119

Call 786-298-4366 if you have information about what's going on in Haiti, or wants to know how you can help! to Donate click here