- Scammers have been setting up bogus online fundraisers in the wake of the deadly
Florida condo collapse, an official warned Wednesday. - "There have unfortunately been some people trying to take advantage with fraudulent
GoFundMe accounts," Charles Cyrille of the Miami-Dade County Office of Emergency said. - The death toll in the partial condo collapse has risen to 16. There are 147 people unaccounted for.
Scammers have been setting up bogus online fundraisers in the wake of the deadly Surfside, Florida condo collapse, an official warned Wednesday.
"There have unfortunately been some people trying to take advantage with fraudulent GoFundMe accounts," Charles Cyrille of the Miami-Dade County Office of Emergency told reporters.
Cyrille, speaking during a press briefing on the collapse, advised that donors should go to www.miamidade.gov/emergency in order to make sure any online donations are going to legitimate causes.
Anyone wishing to support the relief efforts can visit that website "and choose one of the agencies to support and donate," Cyrille explained. He also thanked those who have "generously" donated to the relief efforts related to the partial collapse.
Officials said Wednesday that four more bodies have been pulled from the mound rubble at the crumbled Champlain Towers South condo building, bringing the confirmed death toll to 16.
There are still 147 people unaccounted for following the June 24 tragedy, officials said.
The massive search-and-rescue operation at the disaster site entered its seventh day on Wednesday.
"Rest assured that those folks [rescue crews] are going to be working on that pile and it's not going to stop and they're gonna get answers one way or another," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday.