Unimaginable tragedy struck Florida last week as a high-rise condo in Surfside collapsed in the middle of the night. My heart breaks for all of those impacted by this unfathomable disaster, and my prayers are with their families and our first responders working around the clock to locate the missing. I’ve seen firsthand their bravery and determination—risking their own safety in an effort to rescue others.

It’s not just Florida first responders—people are traveling from all over the country and the world to help with this enormous undertaking. I’ve witnessed remarkable generosity and selfless actions by those on the scene of this catastrophe, as efforts to help victims and their families continue into another week.

While these actions are so inspiring, I want to warn Floridians that bad actors may try to take advantage of the situation. I’m urging those who wish to donate to be cautious of scammers exploiting the Surfside building collapse for their own financial profit.

Floridians can guard against charity scams by:

• Contacting the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance at Give.org or Charity Navigator to determine whether a charity has any complaints against them before donating;
• Researching how the charity uses donations; and
• Refraining from providing banking information to unsolicited calls or emails on behalf of a charity.

For more information on charity scams, check out our new Consumer Alert here.

As many Floridians gather this weekend to celebrate Independence Day, remember to keep those impacted by the Surfside building collapse in your prayers, as first responders will continue to work hard throughout the weekend and beyond to locate those who remain missing.