Tuesday, May 21 2013 12:18 PM EDT2013-05-21 16:18:28 GMT
Three people were inside this burning home but managed to get out safely.
Firefighters are battling a massive fire in East Bank in Kanawha County. A house on Walnut Street went up in flames around 5:15 a.m. Firefighters said two people were home at the time but managed to
Three escape massive fire in a home on Walnut Street in Kanawha County
Rescue crews are working through the night after a monstrous tornado barreled through the Oklahoma City suburbs, demolishing an elementary school and reducing homes to piles of splintered wood.
Emergency crews searched the broken remnants of an Oklahoma City suburb Tuesday for survivors of a massive tornado that flattened homes and demolished an elementary school. At least 24 people were killed, including at least...
U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin reminds West Virginians to be aware of disaster fraud scams as a result of Superstorm Sandy that caused widespread destruction in numerous states, including West Virginia, almost a month ago.
Suspected fraudulent activity related to relief efforts associated with Hurricane Sandy should be reported to the toll-free National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline at 866-720-5721.
"There are citizens still trying to put their lives back in order as a result of last month's devastating storm," said Goodwin in a press release. "West Virginians are still eager to help out. I ask people to continue to use caution: there are criminals who will take advantage of that generosity. It's a good idea to stick with charities you know and trust. If a stranger calls and asks you for money, do your homework before donating. And if you suspect someone is up to no good, call the authorities."
The Department of Justice and the FBI remind everyone to apply a "critical eye" before giving to anyone asking donations on behalf of hurricane victims. Solicitations can come in the form of emails, websites, door-to-door collections, mailings, and telephone calls.
Before making donations, consumers should follow certain guidelines:
Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming emails, including by clicking links contained within those messages, because they may contain computer viruses.
Be cautious of individuals representing themselves as victims or officials asking for donations via email or social networking sites.
Beware of organizations with copycat names similar to but not exactly the same as those of reputable charities.
Rather than following a purported link to a website, verify the existence and legitimacy of non-profit organizations by using Internet-based resources.
Be cautious of emails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files, because those files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
To ensure that contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make donations directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
Do not be pressured into making contributions; reputable charities do not use coercive tactics.
Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions. Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.
Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by debit or credit card, or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals.
Legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services.
Most legitimate charities maintain websites ending in .org rather than .com.
You can also report suspicious e-mail solicitations or fraudulent websites to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
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