Online fund-raising for charity ought to be covered by law

AN ONLINE POST BY A COUPLE IN SHAOXING, East China's Zhejiang province, seeking to raise money for their 7-year-old daughter who suffers from leukemia, recently went viral and ended up collecting about 260,000 yuan ($39,000). Yet the wife was later found to own a Mercedes-Benz and a diamond ring worth over 10,000 yuan. To regulate online fund-raising activities and keep the fake ones at bay requires the legislative authorities to revise the charity law, says gmw.cn.

Although the couple did confirm their daughter's illness and explained they needed to raise money for her treatment, it is understandable that some online donors have doubts about their need, because they may have more besides the expensive car and diamond ring.

Online campaigns soliciting donations have become a popular means for many in urgent need of help. However, the law stipulates that only social organizations and non-profit government organizations designed for public welfare are entitled to solicit donations from the public.