Residents of Maui have suffered widespread devastation as wildfires ravage the Hawaiian island, along with Hawaii’s Big Island. More than 50 people have been killed, homes and businesses have been wiped out, and nearly 11,000 customers are grappling with power outages. The fires, fanned in part by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, have not yet been contained, and the extent of the damage isn’t fully known. Rebuilding the island will likely take months or even years.
There are countless social causes and crowdfunding campaigns on social media seeking donations — but be warned: occasionally, bad actors like scam artists and other fraudsters may take advantage of people’s kindness. For many crowdfunding sites, your money will first go directly to the crowdfunding organizer, and not necessarily the end-recipient of the donations. So double-check that the organizer will pass along the funds to the person or cause they claim to be supporting.