Donors urged to make sure tsunami charities are legitimate

The Better Business Bureau is warning people to be on guard if approached to donate money for the Tsunami disaster relief effort.

Some people use such tragedies to scam people, the bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance warned in a press release. Folks who want to donate should ensure that the recipient organizations are registered with appropriate state agencies and are able to provide written material about their activities and finances, the bureau reported in a press release.

Among other warnings, the giving alliance cautions that people should never give personal information, such as credit card numbers, in response to a phone or e-mail solicitation.

The giving alliance provides several tips about giving to nonprofit organizations and details about hundreds of charitable organizations on its Web site, give.org.