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OAG vigilant against illegitimate charities
Manibusan
The National Association of Attorney Generals recently formed a committee that will be looking into charities in an effort to keep consumers and businesses from becoming victims of a scam or theft.
According to CNMI Attorney General Edward Manibusan, “the OAG has a responsibility to protect charitable assets and ensuring that they are properly managed and spent.”
After the onslaught of Typhoon Soudelor, an increase of charitable causes began soliciting for donations as well as providing direct relief to the community.
“There have been an increase in the number of non-profit corporations who have solicited donations for charitable cause and we want to make sure the donations go to the intended beneficiaries,” Manibusan said.
Currently, there have not been any reported cases on sham charities but the OAG says they will respond when a case is reported.
The National Consumers League or fraud.org states that if you are approached by an unfamiliar charity to contact a local consumer protection agency to confirm their legitimacy.
Consumer protection in the CNMI, as is monitoring charities, continues as a joint effort between Manibusan and Guam Attorney General Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson after a cooperative agreement in December to enhance the protection of consumers in Guam and the CNMI allows for the pooling of resources and the conducting of joint investigations regarding matters that affect consumers in both jurisdictions.
If you suspect that a charity may be illegitimate, contact your Attorney General office at 664-2341.
