Beware of Las Vegas shooting GoFundMe scams
CARSON CITY — The Nevada Attorney General’s Office is working with GoFundMe to help donors avoid scams as they give to charities raising money for victims of the Las Vegas shooting.
“I warn individuals attempting to donate in the wake of Sunday’s tragedy that there are many illegitimate GoFundMe accounts and sham charities unimaginably trying to profit from this horrific tragedy,” Attorney General Adam Laxalt said in a statement.
His office offers the following guidelines:
- Visit www.gofundme.com/helplasvegas to ensure donations are going to legitimate causes.
- Reach out to GoFundMe or the campaign organizer directly.
- Report suspicious pages to GoFundMe by clicking “Report Campaign” on the GoFundMe campaign page. Concerns also can be reported to Nevada Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection at (702) 486-3420 or (775) 684-1100.
- Do not make donations in cash or through wire transfers.
- Ask for details about their mission, name, address and telephone number.
- Do not make checks payable to individuals. Don’t give out credit card, bank account or social security number information.
- Be cautious of social media tools used to raise money.
Complaints can be filed with the attorney general’s office at http://ag.nv.gov/Complaints/File_Complaint/.
Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-0661. Follow @BenBotkin1 on Twitter.