ACNC warns of Cyclone Pam charity scams

The Australian Charities and Not-for profits Commission (ACNC) has received complaints about scam social media accounts claiming to collect money for Cyclone Pam victims. Some of the fraudulent accounts use the branding of reputable Australian charities, despite no association, and link to scam donation apps.

Commissioner Susan Pascoe AM said, “Australians are renowned for their generosity, donating billions of dollars to charity every year. Unfortunately there are scammers prepared to take advantage of the public’s generous nature. By giving to a registered charity, people can protect themselves and their donations.”

The ACNC’s Charity Register is a helpful tool for checking a charity’s reliability and operations with a database listing over 60,000 charities.

“We encourage anyone who wants to donate to Cyclone Pam to give to an established humanitarian charity. You can use the Charity Register to find these charities and contact them directly using the details listed on the Register,” Ms Pascoe said.

The ACNC advises the following precautionary steps:

• Always ask for identification from door to door and street fundraising collectors.
• If you haven’t heard of an organisation, look them up on the Charity Register to see if they are registered.
• Do not provide your personal, credit card or online account details unless you know it is a trusted source.
• Do not open suspicious or unsolicited emails – delete them.
• If you think that there is something wrong, contact the charity directly and alert them of your concerns.

Emma McDonald

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