Hackers use Haiti to deceive donors on the Web
Law-enforcement agencies and charity watchdogs have warned that con artists may use Haiti-relief scams to take advantage of an outpouring of generosity after the Haitian earthquake.
Shortly after the quake, scammers were at work trying to profit from the disaster. The scams ranged from e-mails asking donors for help to phone calls soliciting funds to phony relief websites harvesting credit card numbers.
The FBI advises that people should be very skeptical of any unsolicited appeals they receive or find on the Internet.
One month after Hurricane Katrina, the FBI said it was suspicious of most of the 4,600 Web sites soliciting money on behalf of those victims. Within an hour of the World Trade Center attacks, scam sites popped up on the Web according to ScamBusters.org.
two brothers from Texas were convicted in 2007 of wire fraud and identity fraud in a disaster-relief scam following Hurricane Katrina. That involved a website purporting to be that of the Salvation Army.
A link on the site directed givers to a number of PayPal accounts that were set up using stolen Social Security numbers and personal information. All told, the brothers collected more than $48,000 from 250 victims before the scam was detected and PayPal froze the accounts.
Here are some tips from the FBI, Scam.Busters and the Better Business Bureau on how to make sure your money goes to people in need.
• Stick to well-known, reputable charities.
• Be cautious when donating online. Scammers can put up a website and open a PayPal account overnight, so be wary of donating on sites you don’t recognize. Also remember that most nonprofit groups’ Websites end in .org rather than .com.
• Donate to organizations, not individuals. Be skeptical of individuals who approach you – in person, on phone, or via e-mail – asking for money.
• Check the charity out. Find out if it has on-the-ground presence in Haiti, and ask how your funds will be used. If a charity doesn’t already have staff in Haiti, it may find it difficult or take a long time to provide immediate assistance.
• Give money, not food, clothing, or equipment. Although well intentioned, donations of food and clothing are inefficient ways to help victims quickly, when transportation and distribution are taken into account. Give money and let the experts determine how best to use it.
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Hey Great Post! My prayers are with the Haiti peopleThe Haiti tragety totally sadens me and my heart goes out to them. ; I just donated to the Red Cross and urge you all to do the same too. What a sad time for these people. My prayers are with the Haitian people.