We Americans are a generous bunch. Having been through heartbreaks of our own because of tragedies or life’s circumstances, we are eager to help those who face adversity and those who have been through a traumatizing, life-altering event.

Unhappily, con artists are equally aware of this generosity and prey on those with a good heart.

Whenever tragedy strikes, as it did for families of victims of the recent fire which claimed the lives of two New Tripoli firefighters, we want to show our love and caring in a meaningful way.

We want to show our sympathy and oneness with those afflicted or their surviving families by opening our wallets and purses to lessen the burden they will be facing because of these unfathomable events. This is laudable.

While acknowledging that it’s commendable for caring citizens to reach out to the victims’ families, the Better Business Bureau says you need to check carefully whom you are donating to. “We want you to give compassionately, but we want you to give carefully,” said Sandra Guile of the BBB.

The Bureau provides these 10 common-sense rules for making any donation:

• Check out the charity or recipients before donating.

• Make sure if it’s a charity that it is registered.

• See whether the charity has permission to use the names and photographs of the victims.

• Know how the donations will be used.

• Make sure the funds are received and administered by a reputable third party.

• Be wary of newly created advocacy organizations.

• Do not click on unfamiliar links.

• Deal only with transparent organizations which make an annual accounting of donations and expenses.

• Compare between newly created and established organizations.

• Check for tax-deductibility, because not every organization collecting funds is tax exempt under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions designated for a specific individual/family are not deductible as charitable donations.

The Bureau says it always hears of “clickbait” requests for donations that lead to questionable websites as well as vague crowdsourcing campaigns where it’s very difficult to know where your money is going. There are also those who go through communities with canisters asking for donations for victims of natural and personal disasters. It is difficult to verify whether these are legitimate appeals or scammers and whether they ever make it to those whom it is supposed to help.

The problem is that in these days of immediacy, charities can pop up overnight, and in just a few hours raise thousands of dollars, without anyone really knowing their legitimacy.

The BBB says that this is a big change from the days when the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army served as the pass-throughs for most of the money collected for disaster victims. Anyone can make online pleas for cash, appear to link it to a legitimate charity and start accepting money.

You work hard for your money, so make sure your donation gets to its intended destination. Give with your heart, but use your head, and make sure your eyes are wide open when you do.

By Bruce Frassinelli?|?tneditor@tnonline.com