State Attorney General Anne Lopez is cautioning residents to be careful when considering making a donation to one of the many fundraising efforts that have mobilized to help those affected by the Maui and Hawaii Island wildfires.

What You Need To Know

  • State attorney general  Anne Lopez advised would-be donors to work through trusted, well-known charities and beware of scammers who create fake charities during natural disasters

  • Any charity that solicits donations in Hawaii must be registered with the Department of the Attorney General, and its status can be verified here

  • The AG’s office noted several indications that a supposed charity may not be legitimate, such as rushing donors to make a donation or asking for donations using cash or gift cards

“I know that the people of Hawaii will come to the aid of our families, neighbors and communities,” Lopez said. “We are already seeing various fundraising efforts being promoted on social media platforms and online. In moments of crisis, we all must be extra vigilant against bad actors who try to take advantage of people’s goodwill.”

Lopez advised would-be donors to work through trusted, well-known charities and beware of scammers who create fake charities during natural disasters. Donors can verify a charity’s legitimacy through its official website. If someone says they are fundraising on behalf of a familiar charity, the best practice is to donate directly to that charity, not the individual.

Any charity that solicits donations in Hawaii must be registered with the Department of the Attorney General, and its status can be verified here. There are also independent online sources that can be used to verify that a charity is legitimate, including:

The AG’s office noted several indications that a supposed charity may not be legitimate, such as rushing donors to make a donation; asking for donations using cash or gift cards (most legitimate charities accept credit card and check donations); using names that are similar to existing, legitimate charities; and making vague and sentimental claims, but offering no specifics about how the donation will be used.

For more information about charity scams and tips to avoid such scams, potential donors are encouraged to review the Department of the Attorney General’s donor education flyer.

Donors with any questions or complaints about a scam charity can contact the Tax & Charities Division at 808-586-1480 or ATG.Charities@hawaii.gov.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.