Direct donations risky

As a generous public steps up to donate funds directly to the victims in two high-profile tragedies, experts are warning that money given to individuals lacks accountability.

The stories of Liao Dan, a Beijing man who defrauded a hospital to cover his wife's medical fees, and Du Chuanwang, a teenager from East China's Shandong province, who was horrifically injured in a prank, have struck a chord with the public, which has donated large sums of cash to both, including directly into the bank account of the injured teenager's father.

Deng Guosheng, a professor specializing in philanthropic studies at the School of Public Policy and Management with the Beijing-based Tsinghua University, said direct donations lack supervision and in many cases donors' rights cannot be fully protected.