Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte issued a warning today that the Attorney General's Office has already started receiving reports that citizens in other states are being contacted for donations to help victims of the recent tsunami disaster. It is expected that New Hampshire citizens will begin receiving similar telephone calls or e-mail solicitations. In light of the tragic events and the well-known generosity of New Hampshire citizens, the Attorney General would like to point out the following:

• Any fundraiser should identify him or-herself. If the caller is soliciting on behalf of a charity, he or she should be able to identify that charity and, if appropriate, identify him or-herself as a paid solicitor. The paid solicitor should also be willing to mail written information to you upon request.
• Charities can solicit donations on their own behalf without hiring a professional fundraiser; however, any charity that solicits donations from New Hampshire citizens is required to register with the Attorney General's Charitable Trusts Unit. If someone contacts you and there is a question whether the charity is legitimate, please call the Charitable Trusts Unit at 271-3591.
• Any professional fundraiser who solicits donations on behalf of a charity is also required to register with the Charitable Trusts Unit. Feel free to contact the Unit if you have any questions regarding a professional fundraiser.
• If the solicitor is rude, cannot identify him or-herself, or acts in a manner you regard as suspicious, think seriously about making the donation.
• Never give out personal information such as social security numbers or bank account numbers over the telephone.
• Donations initiated by citizens though an Internet site should be to trusted charitable organizations and be made only on secure Internet sites. Look for “https” in the Internet site address and the padlock logo to help determine if the site is secure.
• Always be cautious when giving out credit card information or other financial information.

The Charitable Trusts Unit and the Consumer Protection Bureau are available if you have any questions regarding this or any other call you receive requesting donations for a charitable purposes. Feel free to call the Charitable Trusts Unit at 271-3591, or e-mail the Unit's paralegal for additional information. The Consumer Protection Bureau’s consumer hotline can be reached at (603) 271-3641. Additional information can be obtained on the Department of Justice’s Internet site, by clicking on the Charitable Trust and Consumer Protection links.

For more information, please contact Senior Assistant Attorney General Michael S. DeLucia of the Charitable Trusts Unit at (603) 271-3591 or Senior Assistant Attorney General Richard W. Head of the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau at (603) 271-3643.