David Thomas President of SCP explained that following such disasters it is natural for civic minded people to do anything to help victims through seeking donations from the community. Unfortunately this is sometimes exploited by unscrupulous individuals.
This follows similar warnings by authorities in the UK of fraud sites and activities in the aftermath of the London tower block fire.
Our advice is therefore to check carefully where the request is coming from, to ensure that this is a bona-fide organisation, or someone you know and can be trusted. Be particularly aware of email addresses soliciting donations which may have been changed slightly from the official address, and website pages which could have been cloned from original pages with changes.
If you suspect fraudulent activities, or are in doubt, please contact the police or info@safecommunities portugal.com immediately. This will be dealt with in confidence.