It's sad we even have to report this, but the Tennessee Attorney General's Office is warning to watch out for scams in the wake of the deadly tornado outbreak that's taken the lives of 22 Tennesseans and destroyed hundreds if not thousands of homes and businesses.
Attorney General Herbert H. Slattery III says "Unfortunately, these events also attract opportunists who may appear willing to help but really just want to take advantage of the situation and make some quick monkey without delivering any products or services".
If you were affected by the storms, be wary of high-pressure sales tactics and unknown phone numbers, and make sure that you verify licensing for any contractor at verify.tn.gov
Charity fraud, unfortunately, is something else to be really concerned about. Scammers are known for soliciting donations for tornado victims, but then pocketing the funds or goods themselves. Our friends at FOX 17 Nashville listed out a few warning signs of charity scams here, but the basic moral of the story is to please KNOW where you're donating your money or supplies to. There are numerous wonderful and reliable organizations like The Goodness Project, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, and the Red Cross that need and welcome your help. We're keeping a page up to date with those kinds of organizations and what kind of help you can offer them here. In fact, we're collecting donations for The Goodness Project here at 55 Music Square W - toiletries, diapers, non-perishable food items, bottled water, pet food - whatever you can spare. We'll also be set up outside Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights for the Post Malone and Dan and Shay concerts.
There's also a really cool fundraiser going on with our friends on the @nashvilletn Instagram page. Their "I Believe in Nashville" shirts are being sold right now with 100% of the profits going to CFMT to help tornado victims. They're already over $150,000 in sales today, which is AMAZING - keep it up!! Buy your "I Believe" shirt here.
Most importantly, love your neighbors. Love your friends. Love your family. Love strangers. Nashville will rise up and rebuild. We love you and we're here to help.