As difficult as it is to fathom, there are of course scum who view the horror in Haiti as an opportunity to make a dishonest buck.

We bring this warning, not as a deterrent to giving to the relief funds for Haiti, but as a caution to be diligent to make sure your generosity winds up going to a legitimate effort instead of a lowly scam operator.

This week, the state Attorney General’s Office warned that disreputable groups often use names that sound very similar to established charities. The office advised to not give out any personal or financial information in reply to...