Consumer columnist and West Hartford resident Harlan Levy has more than 20 years of experience writing stories about everyday experiences that anyone could encounter.

By Harlan Levy

Harlan Levy. Courtesy photo

Following the start of the Israel-Gaza crisis we’ve been getting emails from apparent charities appealing to our desire to help the victims, and I bet lots of you are getting them also. But are they legitimate? No surprise, but scammers have not wasted time and have already set up fake charities, aiming to take advantage of our generosity.

Here’s some tips from the FTC on how to avoid the scams and verify that donations go to where you want:

• First, slow down, and do the research before you donate to discover if your money will go to real people in need.
• Research the organization, especially if the appeal comes on social media. Search the name plus “complaint,” “review,” “rating,” or “scam.”
• Check out the charity with the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, and Candid.
• If a friend sent the appeal via social media, ask if she or he knows the organization personally.
• Donate to charities you know with a proven track record of responses to a humanitarian crisis.
• Ask exactly how much of every dollar you donate goes directly to the charity’s beneficiaries.
• Be careful about giving to individuals on crowdfunding sites. Some scammers pretend to be concerned citizens collecting for a cause. Giving to someone you personally know and trust is safest. Review the platform’s policies and procedures. Some crowdfunding sites will check out postings asking for help after a humanitarian crisis to confirm they’re legitimate. Others don’t.
• Donate money rather than goods unless you confirm what’s needed. If you aim to send clothing or supplies, first confirm with the charity exactly what items are being collected.
• Don’t donate to anyone who insists you pay by cash, gift card, wiring money, or cryptocurrency. That’s how scammers easily steal your dough. Instead pay by credit card or check, which gives you protections.
• For text appeals confirm the text number before you text your donation. Contact the charity to confirm the number. If it’s not the charity’s number, text your gift to the charity’s real number, or donate via the charity’s website.
• Keep a record of all your donations. Review your statements closely to make sure you’re only charged the amount you agreed to donate and that you’re not signed up to make a recurring donation.

Lost and found

Here’s a clever invention for situations when you lose something outside your home: QR code labels/stickers (like supermarket barcodes) from Tile, a San Mateo, California-based consumer electronics company that produces tracking devices. You peel off and affix each adhesive label to items that you don’t want to lose.

The labels – which are scratch resistant, waterproof, and dishwasher safe – have a machine-scannable image that a smartphone camera can read. Every QR code label consists of black squares and dots representing information that a finder’s smartphone scans and translates into your contact information.

To activate/register each label you must download the Tile app on your smartphone or tablet and click on “Get Started,” then “Activate a Tile” and follow directions.

The labels are available online at Tile’s website, cost $14.99 for three sheets of labels or 15 total, and come in green, purple, and teal colors.

Last year, the company stated, use of Tile QR codes resulted in finding 1.45 million sets of keys, 817,000 wallets, 55,000 pieces of luggage … and 18 turtles!

Lost and Found labels. Courtesy image

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