随着野火继续在洛杉矶县肆虐，当局对公众的另一个潜在威胁敲响了警钟:与灾难有关的骗局。
多名执法官员警告说，坏人阴谋利用慈善人士的利益，这些人希望凑钱给那些因火灾而需要帮助的人。
“我们有热心的人想要帮助，他们想要捐赠，他们想要支持受害者，”加州司法部长罗布·邦塔在周六的新闻发布会上说。“我们也看到骗子利用这种善良和慷慨，诈骗这些人。”
Bonta敦促公众警惕那些谎称是慈善机构或非盈利组织来帮助火灾受害者的欺诈组织。
Bonta说，诈骗者有时会瞄准老年人、移民和不讲英语的人。
他补充说，在某些情况下，欺诈组织使用听起来令人误解的合法名称。
官员们说，为了避免这些骗局，捐赠者可以在打开钱包之前，先对他们考虑捐赠的慈善机构做一些研究。
洛杉矶警察局长吉姆·麦克唐奈(Jim McDonnell)建议用慈善导航者(Charity Navigator)和商业改善局(Better Business Bureau)等网站来验证组织。
GoFundMe正在核实它的资金筹集者，这样捐助者就可以相信他们的捐款会用在真正需要的地方。他们还建议人们可以捐赠的一些组织，包括世界中央厨房，帕萨迪纳人道，婴儿婴儿和其他几个组织。
“花时间彻底研究你正在考虑的慈善机构或组织。麦克唐奈在周日的新闻发布会上说:“声誉良好的团体将会清楚地了解他们的任务和经过验证的记录。”。
麦克唐奈还建议尽可能避免现金捐赠，而是“选择安全、可追踪的支付方式，以确保你的捐款到达那些需要的人手中。”
如果你怀疑捐款请求是欺诈性的，麦克唐纳要求公众联系警方，以便他们可以调查此事。
洛杉矶县治安官罗伯特·g·卢纳说，执法官员“急于起诉”任何被抓到利用人们慷慨解囊的人。
邦塔周日重申了这一警告，强调将会有严厉的后果。
邦塔说:“对于那些想利用这场悲剧谋取私利的人，那些会进一步伤害那些可能失去一切的人，那些已经是受害者的人，那些看到这场灾难并看到美元迹象的人，我有一个信息要告诉你:你将被追究责任。”。"我的办公室会让你承担责任。"
Scam artists are taking advantage of the Los Angeles wildfires, officials warn
As wildfires continue to blaze across Los Angeles County, authorities are sounding the alarm on another potential threat to the public: scams relating to the disaster.
Multiple law enforcement officials have warned of bad actors scheming to take advantage of charitable people looking to chip in and give to those in need due to the fires.
“We have people with big hearts who want to help, they want to donate, they want to support the victims," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a press conference Saturday. "We also see scammers who are taking advantage of that goodness and that generosity and scamming and defrauding those individuals.”
Bonta urged the public to beware of fraudulent organizations falsely claiming to be charities or nonprofits aiding fire victims.
Scammers have at times targeted elderly individuals, immigrants and non-English speakers, Bonta said.
In some cases, he added, the fraudulent organizations use names that sound misleadingly legitimate.
In order to avoid these scams, donors can first do some research on charities they’re considering giving to before opening their wallets, officials said.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell suggested verifying organizations with websites like Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau.
GoFundMeis verifying its fundraisers so donors can trust their contributions are going where they’re truly needed. They're also suggesting a number of organizations where people can donate, including World Central Kitchen, Pasadena Humane, Baby2Baby and several others.
“Take time to thoroughly research the charity or organization that you're considering. Reputable groups will have clear information about their mission and proven track records,” McDonnell said in a press briefing Sunday.
McDonnell also recommended steering clear of cash donations whenever possible, instead “opting instead for secure, traceable payment methods to ensure that your contributions reach those in need.”
And if you suspect a donation request is fraudulent, McDonnell asked the public to contact police so they can investigate the matter.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna said law enforcement officials are “eager to prosecute” anyone caught preying on people’s generosity.
Bonta reiterated this warning on Sunday, emphasizing there will be harsh consequences.
“To anyone who would go out and take advantage of this tragedy for their greedy gain, who would further victimize people who have potentially lost everything, who are already victims, who would look at this devastation and see dollar signs, I have a message for you: You will be held accountable,” Bonta said. “My office will be engaged to hold you accountable.”
