Outrage - Red Cross Fraud

[Artemis Windsong]

This is probably just the tip of the iceberg fraud.

www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/red-cross-dollar6-million-for-ebola-fight-stolen-through-fraud/ar-AAuqJfP

[zibazinski]

That’s been going on for years.

[TheHaitian]

Nov 5, 2017 16:53:26 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

That’s been going on for years.

Yep sadly this is true.... nothing new here!

Actually I firmly believe that NGO's work actively to keep my country (Haiti) in poverty so the NGO workers /friends and families can enriched themselves.

It has become a crooked business model to set up a "non profit" to help the less fortunate and to keep the majority of the funds "raised" for yourself!

[zibazinski]

I don’t know if you know who Jeff Dunham is but he’s an entertainer who donated a lot of money to the Red Cross after Irma. His page was full of posters telling him how awful the Red Cross was. I don’t know who audits them but it’s apparent the Red Cross still is able to get money out of people

[busymom]

Weren't they accused, in the past, of accepting donations for a hurricane, & then "banking" the money to save up for the next disaster?  I'm afraid they're not my first choice when it comes to donating to a cause.  

[Deleted]

Nov 5, 2017 19:41:25 GMT -5 busymom said:

Weren't they accused, in the past, of accepting donations for a hurricane, & then "banking" the money to save up for the next disaster?  I'm afraid they're not my first choice when it comes to donating to a cause.  

You are right.  I remember this.

At the same time, there has been fraud at many other charities.  It's hard to know who to trust any more.

[Deleted]

Nov 5, 2017 19:54:01 GMT -5 @bamafan1954 said:

You are right. I remember this.

At the same time, there has been fraud at many other charities. It's hard to know whom to trust any more.

I donate to very few organizations and my two biggest are local- my church and a shelter for people fleeing domestic violence. Yes, some will argue that contributing money to pay the mortgage on a religious building doesn't count but the IRS says it does! I stay closely involved with those organizations. The leaders are not driving Ferraris and in the case of the church, I've been part of a committee that audits the finances.

I haven't ever donated to the Red Cross and I stopped pretending I cared about United Way after I retired.

[NastyWoman]

Nov 5, 2017 19:41:25 GMT -5 busymom said:

Weren't they accused, in the past, of accepting donations for a hurricane, & then "banking" the money to save up for the next disaster?  I'm afraid they're not my first choice when it comes to donating to a cause.  

They milked the public for extra money after Katrina, using actual NO footage, and used that money to upgrade their communication system. When confronted about it at first they claimed that this was standard and of course people who donated knew their money did not all go to disaster aid. When that response turned into a disaster of its own, they apologized and promised never to do it again. Well, they were right in one thing: they never used my money for anything else again because that was the last time I ever donated to the Red Cross. I'd burn it in a (tiny) pile before I give to them again. Actually, I donate food to the food bank but you know what I mean...

[TheOtherMe]

I refuse to donate to the Red Cross.  I became adamant about it after the earthquakes in Haiti.  My ex had to go there on work and told me the money was not getting to the people who needed it, in part because of the Red Cross and other charities and in part because of the corruption in the Haitian government.

The US government was supposed to be training the Haitian government how to watch for money laundering, etc.  The US government determined the Haitian government didn't care after about a dozen employees were in country for a week.

[ken a.k.a OMK]

This is a great article on the Red Cross. Basically says the are great at raising money and getting there quickly. Then they don't know how to rebuild and spend the money donated. Great name recognition. Also their CEO makes too much. 

www.slate.com/articles/business/metropolis/2017/08/don_t_give_money_to_the_red_cross_we_need_a_new_way.html

[MJ2.0]

was it RC who was seen throwing donated food and supplies meant for the Orlando nightclub relief workers in the garbage?

[bookkeeper]

My father in law survived the Pacific theatre during WWII.  He had nothing good to say about the Red Cross and warned me about his personal experiences during the war.

My favorite story was about how the tobacco companies donated cigarettes to the Red Cross to be given to the sailors and soldiers at no cost.  The Red Cross turned around and sold them at the canteens they set up.  Way to turn a profit on a captive audience.

Too many unsavory stories about the Red Cross during my lifetime.  I donate directly to my church or my fire department or not at all.

[zibazinski]

That long ago they were crooked, sad.

[sesfw]

I remember as a tween (1953) we lived in Military housing and one of the homes caught fire.  The Red Cross was right there and handed the family a check ........... and told them it was to be repaid within 6 months.

The family handed the check back to RC, said no thanks.

Military neighbors helped the family ...........

That has stuck in my mind and I have never donated to RC or United Way. 

I think with RC it's the name recognition associated with blood drives.

[chiver78]

my mom used to work as a bank teller after HS in the mid-70s, and a lot of the big charities had executives up here in the Boston area. she told me a few charities to avoid, after cashing those paychecks, and the ones she listed don't currently show well by Charity Navigator, even decades later. RC was one, United Way another. don't think anyone here would be surprised by either.  

[MJ2.0]

yeah, United Way is another one.

[Deleted]

Nov 7, 2017 9:58:13 GMT -5 bookkeeper said:

My favorite story was about how the tobacco companies donated cigarettes to the Red Cross to be given to the sailors and soldiers at no cost.  The Red Cross turned around and sold them at the canteens they set up.  Way to turn a profit on a captive audience.

Too many unsavory stories about the Red Cross during my lifetime.  I donate directly to my church or my fire department or not at all.

DH confirmed this- his stepfather saw the same thing happen when he was stationed in Europe during WW II.

FWIW, one podcast I listed to (either Freakonomics or Planet Money) looked into this and said that the British soldiers had to pay for their cigarettes and it was creating a morale problem because American soldiers got theirs for free- so the Red Cross was asked to charge for them to even things out.  Still, DH would never donate to RC and neither would I.  Even my blood and blood component donations go to a local blood center!

[NoNamePerson]

Nov 7, 2017 9:58:13 GMT -5 bookkeeper said:

My father in law survived the Pacific theatre during WWII.  He had nothing good to say about the Red Cross and warned me about his personal experiences during the war.

My favorite story was about how the tobacco companies donated cigarettes to the Red Cross to be given to the sailors and soldiers at no cost.  The Red Cross turned around and sold them at the canteens they set up.  Way to turn a profit on a captive audience.

Too many unsavory stories about the Red Cross during my lifetime.  I donate directly to my church or my fire department or not at all.

I always wondered why my mother was so "anti" RC until I ran across some letters to and from the RC in her things when she passed away. This was during WWII.

I also saw how they operated after Hurricane Camille. Had friends on MS coast when it hit and we went down to try to help anyway we could and got a good look at RC operations. Shameful to say the least.