Following a string of mass shootings, including the killing of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas last week, many people are wondering what they can do to help.
The Better Business Bureau is warning people who want to donate money to watch out for scammers.
Stephanie Garland, regional director of the Better Business Bureau, said it’s fairly common for scammers to use tragedies to take advantage of people.
"They're going to create fake online pages, online crowdfunding pages," she said. "They're going to go ahead and create fake websites, fake profiles, so be very cautious whenever you're donating money, especially as we're trying to help people during this awful time right now."
The BBB recommends giving directly to charities since scammers might use crowdfunding sites to take money from unsuspecting people.
Garland said donations to crowdfunding sites are not tax deductible. She said you should give only to charities that you’re familiar with.
Be wary of claims that 100 percent of donations will help victims, the BBB said, and rely on experts to evaluate a charity.
You can find information about various nonprofit organizations at bbb.org.