In the wake of Hurricane Sandy that hit the northeastern regions of the U.S., the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois (BBB) advises consumers do their research before making any donations to charities assisting those affected by the storm. The BBB offers the following tips to help donors decide where to direct donations to assist hurricane victims:

Be cautious when giving online. Be cautious, especially in response to unsolicited spam messages, and emails or social media posts that claim to link to a relief organization. If you want to give to a charity involved in relief efforts, go directly to the charity’s website. In response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the Asian tsunamis, the FBI and others raised concerns about websites and new organizations that were created overnight, allegedly to help victims.

Rely on expert opinion when it comes to evaluating a charity. Be cautious when relying on third-party recommendations such as bloggers or other websites, as they may not have fully researched the relief organizations they list. Donors can go to www.bbb.org for free to research charities and relief organizations and verify that they are accredited by the BBB and meet the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups. Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations. If so, you may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and give directly to those that have a presence in the region, or at a minimum, check out the ultimate recipients of these donations to see whether they are equipped to provide aid effectively. Never feel forced to make a hasty decision or to choose an unknown charity. For more tips you can trust, visit www.bbb.org.