BEWARE OF CHARITY SCAMS IN WAKE OF TRAGEDY

In relation to the tragedies resulting from terrorist attacks, Secretary of State Jim Miles issued the following statement regarding charity scams in South Carolina:

In the wake of tragedy, good citizens organize to assist those fellow Americans in need. We witnessed such action during other natural and man-made disasters, and, now we are seeing the strength and compassion of South Carolinians put into action, as many are organizing to assist the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11.

However, once again, there are scam artists who are organizing and collecting funds under the guise of helping the tragedy victims, as we saw during the Oklahoma bombing tragedy when crooks scammed millions of dollars. Many citizens and media reporters have questions regarding these organizations. Once again, we would like to advise our citizens to use the following guidelines in giving to such charities:

*Charities should be registered with the Secretary of State’s Office. You may check out a charity by calling 1-888-CHARITI or visiting our website at www.scsos.com .

* When a professional solicitor contacts you, he must:
a) Disclose his status as "paid" or "professional"
b) State the true registered name of the charity he is soliciting for
c) State the location and purpose of that charity

*If you ask the solicitor, he must tell you the percentage of the donation that will actually go to the charity and the guaranteed minimum percentage they receive.

*It is a good idea to give to charities you are familiar with and that are located in your area.

*Finally, call our office at 1-888-CHARITI if you are suspicious of a solicitor or charity.