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BBB talks scams, red flags to watch out for amid LA wildfires

FOX 17 sat down with the Better Business Bureau on scams to watch out for if you plan to donate money toward wildfire relief.

By: FOX 17 News

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(WXMI) — Scams tend to crop up after any major disaster, taking advantage of people’s hearts all over the country.

FOX 17 sat down with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), who says impostor scams are the most common. These occur when scammers operate in the guise of well-known organizations, government officials or loved ones on social media, all to get you to click a link and fork over your hard-earned money.

As a general rule, if a deal appears to be too good to be true, it likely is.

“They're going to pull at your heart strings, so if you see photos that are overly emotional or if there's really vague descriptions of what that organization does or how you can donate or what the money goes to, those are some red flags you want to watch out for,” says Katie Grevious with the BBB.

The BBB tells us it’s better to pay with credit cards, as they come with better protections against fraud while offering a greater chance at getting your money back.

Call your bank immediately if you think you were scammed, and track your credit reports to ensure your name isn’t being used for unfamiliar loans. It’s also worth changing your passwords and getting your device checked for malware by a legitimate business.