COSTA MESA, CA (ANS) -- Veteran Christian radio broadcaster Rich Buhler has warned his listeners to beware of fraudulent activity connected to Haiti quake relief.

Rich Buhler

“During Katrina there were so many scams,” Buhler says, recalling the polished e-mails that he and many others received soliciting donations. “They may look slick and even appear to connect to legitimate organizations,” he says. “Do not respond because you may end up making a donation to crooks.”

Buhler is the host of “Talk from the Heart” on KBRT-AM 740 in Los Angeles, heard daily from 3:00 to 5:00 Pacific Time. Regarded by many as the father of modern Christian talk radio, he also is the creator of www.truthorfiction.com, a web site that researches Internet stories, hoaxes, and urban legends.

Fraudulent e-mails soliciting funds may appear legitimate, because the perpetrators often steal graphics from genuine websites of Christian organizations. However, donated funds usually flow into offshore bank accounts connected with criminal elements.

Buhler urged his listeners to go directly to established, recognized Christian aid organizations through their websites.

He also warns against phone scams. “Don’t respond to solicitations on the phone,” he says. “Call the organization directly.”

Another problem Buhler has observed in other relief operations is the collection of bulky items such as clothing, blankets, canned goods, tents and other goods.

“I’ve been involved in a lot of relief work, and those goods seldom make it out of the warehouse,” he notes. Even if these shipping containers make it into the country – a challenge in itself due to the current conditions, the contents often end up in the hands of corrupt officials.

Such donations must be handled by highly trusted distribution sources, Buhler warns. He is recommending one Christian service agency on his program, Childcare Worldwide (www.childcareworldwide.org). “They have a good presence in Haiti, and they already had a container ship headed for the Dominican Republic when the earthquake hit,” he notes.

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability has a list of 82 Christian relief organizations working in Haiti, along with links and descriptions of their activities at www.ecfa.org/ServantMatch.aspx?Type=Haiti