The earthquake in the southwest of Marrakech, on the night of Friday September 8 to Saturday September 9, 2023, caused the death of more than 2,100 people. The earthquake also left towns and villages devastated, but above all tens of thousands of victims in need. Although the Kingdom has only accepted humanitarian aid from a handful of countries – Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and the United Kingdom – many volunteers have still come forward to provide support to Moroccans. Associations have collected donations, in addition to participation in online funds which make it possible to help victims in a more individual way. However, you still need to be careful because the risk of scam is important, especially with the appearance of fake prize pools.
Good reflexes to adopt when preparing to make a donation
It is unacceptable that criminals take advantage of a tragedy, even more so with the money of citizens who wish to help people in need. But this happens very often, especially since the appearance of social networks. To avoid scams, particularly on online prize pool platforms, we must favor those that come back regularly, like Leetchi, Le Pot commun, Tribee, Papayoux… In Morocco, the most popular is Cotizup, which already brings together several mutual funds. If you have any doubts, do not hesitate to check if the platform is referenced in the register of insurance, banking and finance intermediaries, on the site Orias.fr. Avoid direct bank transfers at all costs, they make it easier to extort money from charlatans. It is rather advisable to respond to calls for donations from known and well-established associations. As a guarantee of credibility, organizations generally link to their sites or social networks. If you don’t know the company you’re about to donate a certain amount of money to, check its website and social media channels. In the event of a scam, file a complaint at the police station or gendarmerie as quickly as possible, it is also possible to file an online pre-complaint.