Since mid-September, Australia has been in the midst of a mass crisis, bush fires have spread across the continent, killing many in its path. In the wake of this disaster, there have been many accounts trying to exploit the help of others in the form of publicity, money, and overall fame for lying to you and distracting from the real tragedy at hand.

These accounts are made by people who don’t care about the issues at hand, instead vouching for personal fame and celebrity under the guise of humanity.

There are several ways these malicious accounts will try to scam you, especially on platforms where they know they can trick you, and get you to trick others for them. Most of these accounts take the laziest route, telling you that one ‘repost’ or like will equate to one dollar they’ll donate, typically to a nameless organization.

On the flip side of that, there are accounts that will simply lie to users, saying they’re a) donating anything at all and b) partnered with major organizations and groups, such as the account @prayforaustralia, which lied about being partnered with National Geographic, which was debunked very quickly.

Even though these accounts seem to be in full swing, there are means of navigating through the mess of scams. Don’t let these accounts lessen your good deeds! Donating to important issues like this means so much to the lives involved. Through some research, these sites are good to donate to.

• The Australian Red Cross – This site is centered around helping individuals in recovery and evacuation centers. Just click the ‘Donate now’ button and enter your amount.
• Fund for Rural & Regional Renewal – This site focuses on economic reconstruction for Australian communities. There is a ‘Donate now’ button in the green box on the left, or a grey bar that says ‘If you want to support bushfire recovery, donate here.’
• Wildlife & Environmental Conservation Organization – This site is centered around the care and protection of wildlife. On their site, underneath the header, there are two orange buttons that say ‘Donate once’ and ‘Donate monthly’. You decide!

These are just a few reputable sites that gather donations.

To recap, avoid Instagram ‘donations’, do some research as to where to donate, and put effort into helping your fellow communities. Put your money to good use, and try your best to avoid vile scammers! Happy donating!