With hurricane season upon us and after this week’s devastation and heartache from Hurricane Ian, there will be opportunities to help the victims in many ways, including financial assistance. It is a sad fact of life that, as we have previously mentioned, what brings out the best in some brings out the worst in others. Scam artists often appear immediately after disasters, using email pleas to con the benevolent and deprive those in need.

A number of organizations – including the Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, and the American Red Cross – provide advice on how to recognize such scams, especially in the aftermath of Ian.

Let’s all be generous, but to the needy, not the greedy.