Emotions are running high throughout the world as more lives are cut short in the Israel-Hamas war.
As Coloradans prepare to support victims by making donations, the Better Business Bureau is warning to be on the look out for scams.
"Scammers will pop up and they'll be trying to take advantage of donors because they know that people really want to help and people are willing to give their money to help with relief efforts," said Meghan Compton, director of foundation for the Better Business Bureau. "Scammers see that as an opportunity to try to get donors to give their money to the wrong place."
The BBB recommends checking Give.org. There, you can find a full report about charities, including how they spend your money. They have a list of charities here.
The organization also recommends doing extra research on grassroots relief efforts.
"We always recommend that if you're going to donate to a place like GoFundMe or a crowd sourcing place for donations, try to donate to somebody you actually know personally," said Compton.
Anyone can be susceptible to a scam.
About $2.6 billion were lost to impostor scams last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
When you give, the BBB recommends using a credit card because the company is more likely to help recoop your funds.
"If you are paying via GoFundMe, if you're wiring money... at that point, it's almost impossible to get your money back," said Compton.
There are multiple local charities that are accepting donations, such as Jewish Colorado. Nationally, Save the Children, Catholic Relief Services and the Palestine Children's Relief Fund are accepting donations as well.
