Avoid Natural Disaster Charity Scams!
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Jake | GovGab
September 08, 2008
After a natural disaster, it’s not uncommon to receive e-mails or phone calls soliciting donations for disaster relief. Unfortunately, these e-mails and phone calls could be scams that could leave you needing financial relief.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Computer Emergency Readiness Team warns everyone to be wary of phishing scams during hurricane season. They warn that many scam e-mails link to legitimate-looking websites that ask for personal financial information. Once you submit your financial information you put yourself at risk for all kinds of problems, like identity theft.
U.S. CERT lists a number of ways you can avoid these phishing scams any time of year:
• Do not follow unsolicited web links received in e-mail message
• Review the Federal Trade Commission’s Charity Checklist
• Verify the legitimacy of the e-mail by contacting the organization directly through a trusted contact number. Trusted contact information can be found on the Better Business Bureau National Charity Report Index
• If you encounter fraud, you can USAFreedomCorps.gov, a federal web site with a list of approved non-profit organizations active in recovery efforts. If you have an itching to get involved, you can also find volunteer opportunities there.
