Fraudulent charities arise after Marathon bombings

Within several hours of the Boston Marathon bombings, many fraudulent charities claimed they were seeking donations for the victims, prompting Mass. Attorney General Martha Coakley to warn citizens of potential scams.

“After the unconscionable attack at the Boston Marathon, there has been an outpouring of support from people who want to help,” Coakley said in a press release April 17. “We urge people from Massachusetts and across the country to continue to support the victims and those impacted by this horrific event.”

However, Coakley said it is important for potential donors to remain careful in their choices.

“We also encourage people to do their homework on the charity before giving to ensure their money will go to the purpose they intend,” she said.

Barbara Anthony, undersecretary of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, said in the release more than 125 domain names, some of which were fake and malicious, for charities supporting the victims were registered within four hours of the tragedy Monday.

“It is unspeakable that anyone would sink to capitalize on Boston’s sorrow as we recover from this tragedy,” she said. “We remind consumers to exercise caution and do their homework before reaching out to help.”

Frank Dorman, spokesman for the Federal Trade Commission, said after disasters, it is common for fake charities to form.

“Charity scams arise after high-profile tragedies, so the agency usually alerts consumers to the possibility of scams when tragedies occur,” he said.

The Attorney General’s Office cautioned against giving to companies that solicited donations through Twitter accounts, emails and websites that were not registered to official charities, according to the release.

The One Fund, a charity created by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick, is an example of a real campaign accepting donations for victims of the bombings.

Kenneth Feinberg, administrator of The One Fund, said in a news conference Tuesday the campaign  has raised more than $20 million since its creation after the Marathon.

“I am amazed in my experience to see this type of outpouring so quickly in such large amounts after this horrific tragedy,” he said. “One thing I’ve learned in all these funds is to never underestimate the charitable impulse of the American people”

Feinberg said he would look into all claims when distributing the money to ensure people affected by the explosions were receiving the aid.

“We will take steps to make sure that all the claims — every one of them — is legitimate,” he said.

Some residents said they are hesitant to donate to any of the bombing charities because they feel unable to guarantee that their money is going directly to those in need.

Scott Logan, a manager at Labtech Software from Arlington, said he was interested in donating, but his experience with previous tragedies and the charities associated with them made him more cautious.

“We [Labtech Software] haven’t donated yet only because after Sept. 11, [2001] I was aware that there were fraudulent charities popping up, so I already had the experience to sit back and wait and let them weed themselves out,” he said. “We certainly plan on donating to a legitimate [source].”

Logan said he preferred donating directly to the victims rather than going through a charity.

“We tend to try and donate more directly if we can, so if we could find a means to bypass a charity, that would be the ideal situation,” he said. “In the best case, a charity is going to take 10 to 90 percent of your money anyways.”

Sally Short, 53, a resident of Arlington, said she prefers giving personal donations to people affected from her hometown.

“Where I live in Arlington, we have two people who were victims of the bombing,” she said. “There’s a lot going on in Arlington to help support people right here, we know that those [donations] are going to those victims.”