{"id":93069,"date":"2015-01-07T17:30:52","date_gmt":"2015-01-07T07:30:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=93069"},"modified":"2020-08-20T17:54:55","modified_gmt":"2020-08-20T07:54:55","slug":"dont-get-burnt-by-bushfire-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2015\/01\/07\/dont-get-burnt-by-bushfire-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Get Burnt By Bushfire Scams"},"content":{"rendered":"

January 7, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is urging people to be careful if they are thinking about donating to bushfire appeals.<\/p>\n

The ACCC said people should double check to make sure the appeal, or its organisers, were legitimate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many worthy organisations that provide much-needed assistance to those affected by the summer bushfires,\u201d ACCC Acting Chair Dr Michael Schaper said.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, there are also scammers who capitalise on tragic events as soon as they happen and divert funds away from those in need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last year, more than $400,000 was reported lost to various fake charity scams, with more than 600 contacts made to the ACCC.<\/p>\n

Scammers use many guises to try to trick people to hand over their money.<\/p>\n

The South Australian Country Fire Service recently issued a warning after receiving enquiries from the public about someone door knocking and collecting cash donations. The SA CFS does not door-knock to seek donations.<\/p>\n

The ACCC has also received reports that social media sites were being used to seek donations to support those affected by bushfires.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr Schaper said there were no guarantees these funds would find their way to bushfire victims.<\/p>\n

\u201cDonate freely but donate wisely by checking that your money is going to a legitimate charity on the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) register,\u201d Dr Schaper said.<\/p>\n

From the ACCC:<\/strong><\/p>\n