KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — Crews are still searching for people missing in Middle Tennessee after major flooding. At least 22 people are now confirmed dead and about 10 people are still missing.
In East Tennessee, people are pulling together to help with relief efforts, but local scam trackers said you should be careful before making charitable donations.
Greater East Tennessee Better Business Bureau President and CEO Tony Binkley said when disaster hits -- scammers are ready.
"Anytime you have something like this the scammers are going to try to take advantage of it," he said.
He urged donors to give thoughtfully to avoid those scams.
"Most of the scammers are probably not even from the area, you know, the news is worldwide, right? They can pick it up on the internet so they know what's going on in what places and like I said, can create fake websites in a minute," he said.
Here are a few red flags he said to look out for: fake GoFundMe pages, callers asking for credit or debit card information over the phone, or anyone asking for money who can't tell you exactly where it's going.
"If you get a phone call or you see something on social media, that doesn't mean that it's right and it's real, so just take a breath and don't feel pressured to give anything on the spot," Binkley said.
He also said you might want to look somewhere else or be especially wary if the organization you are donating to claims 100% of your donation will go to families affected by the natural disaster.
"Never does 100% go, because they have to pay somebody to do something, so if you hear something like that that's a red flag,” he said.
The most important thing to remember, Binkley said, is to make sure you are donating to a reputable organization -- one you trust. The BBB has a list of accredited nonprofits with boots on the ground in that specific area.
"They're prepared to get the money in the hands of the right people at the right time,” he said.
To help Tennesseans impacted by the flood, the BBB said it is partnering with the National Guard to collect financial donations and items to distribute to victims. You can find a list of items and how to donate those at this link.