The Pennsylvania State Police are reminding residents in the area to be alert for solicitation fraud that may appear as email solicitations, phone solicitations or pop-up charities as a result of Hurricane Florence.

Police state that after a natural disaster occurs, many people rush to financially help those in need and criminals lurk in the shadows of natural disasters and prey upon vulnerable individuals and organizations hoping that generous people, in their eagerness to assist, will donate without vetting the charity. The scammer’s plan is to profit from your intended donation.

The Pennsylvania State Police remind patrons when deciding to support a cause make sure any donation goes to a legitimate organization. This can be done by conducting some research and planning to help ensure any donations are used to support the intended cause. Following are some tips to help plan donations and avoid scammers:

Never provide personal information such as a social security number, date of birth, credit card number or address

Be suspicious of any stranger calling asking for money, regardless of the situation

Government agencies will never call to ask you to verify personal information or request payment

Get educated about scams and tips to avoid becoming a victim

Always verify the legitimacy of any email and/or telephone solicitation by researching the organization or calling the company back

Do not assume charities that are posted on social media or on the internet are legitimate. The Federal Trade Commission recommends vetting any charity with the Better Business Bureaus suggested websites: give.org; charitynavigator.org; charitywatch.org and guidstar.org

When considering giving to a specific charity, search its name plus “complaint,” “review,” “rating” or “scam”

Be wary of copycat names and names similar to those of legitimate charities

Make sure that the website of any organization is not a copycat website by watching for misspellings or improper English

Most legitimate charity sites end in .org rather that .com

Never click on attachments and links in unsolicited emails

Legitimate charities do not normally request donations in cash, gift cards or via money transfers

Donate to charities that are known and trusted. Find your state charity regulator at nasconer.org

The Pennsylvania State Police say the best way to stop scams and fraud is through vigilance.