McDaniel warns of Ebola scams

Arkansans should be wary of organizations claiming to offer a cure for Ebola or soliciting donations for aid, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said Wednesday.

There is no available U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved Ebola vaccine and "ill-intentioned organizations" may be among those purporting to raise funds, his office warned in a statement.

“It is disheartening to know that whenever there is any sort of tragedy, there are people out there who will exploit good-hearted, law-abiding citizens,” McDaniel said. “In times like these, it is important that consumers are aware of the facts and the methods that scammers will use to take advantage of them.”

Aaron Sadler, a spokesman for McDaniel's office, said there had been no complaints of such scams in Arkansas yet, though the FDA did take action against a New Jersey company that purported to offer an Ebola treatment.

"While we have not had any complaints to our office about Ebola-related scams here in Arkansas, we know that any time there is a disaster or a crisis in which legitimate charitable organizations are doing good work, scams are sure to follow," Sadler said in an email.

McDaniel said consumers can take steps to avoid being tricked including:

— Checking the attorney general's website or the Better Business Bureau website to see whether a charity is registered.

— Posing "tough questions" to charities, including asking how the donation will be used and what percentage goes to fundraising or administrative costs.

— Reading up on the charity carefully, including looking for scammers who "use names closely resembling those of legitimate charities to hook consumers into donating or clicking on their links," the statement said.

Anyone who has been contacted by a possible scammer should contact the Consumer Protection Division at (800) 482-8982 or online to file a complaint, the statement said.

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