In a natural disaster where many people have died, scammers have sprung up from everywhere just hoping to grab some money from charity appeals, depriving the needs of the disaster victim.
It was just a day after the earthquake struck Haiti, the FBI warned the public to be wary of the high number of online fraudsters looking to take advantage of the catastrophe. This scepticism follows the relief-related scams that cropped up soon after other natural disasters, such as the Asian tsunami in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Reports earlier today indicate that over 400 Internet addresses related to Haiti have now been registered since the devastating quake. The names reference Haiti and words such as "earthquake," "help," "aid," "victims" and "survivors." Many of the web addresses will likely prove legitimate, but many more will be bogus and associated with web sites that host malicious software and fake sites aimed at stealing credit card details and identities.
Security experts are continuing to warn the public to the likelihood of scams as requests for donations have started to pour in via e-mail, text message, telephone and Twitter.
The key advice is to look carefully before you give money or personal information, and contribute to a known group, and be on guard for targeted emails form individuals suggesting there are victims of the disaster.
One such e-mail sent last week seeks help purported to be from a lawyer in Port-au-Prince whose entire family had died and who was given just days to live himself. He asked for assistance - and cash - for distributing his family fortune.
Not all bogus solicitations will be so obvious, or arrive marked as spam. Here are some tips to help you steer clear of aid scams:
How can you spot a fake?
- The best way to avoiding falling victim to such a scam is to use common sense and think carefully before sending your donation
- Avoid any charities that you haven't heard of before and don't respond to unsolicited e-mails or click on any links. These might be from a scammer and the links direct you to a fake site.
- Even if you do receive such an e-mail and recognise the charity in question, it is essential you still don't respond. Rather, close the e-mail and locate the charity's site via an Internet search engine.
- If you receive a telephone call from a charity, don't be afraid to ask questions about how the donations will be used and never bow down to high-pressure collection tactics
The warnings shouldn't dissuade donors from giving and those interested in making donations are advised to go directly to the websites of recognised charities such as the Disasters Emergency Committee (www.dec.org.uk)
Should you require any further information relating to the Haiti scam then please don't hesitate in contacting me.
Stephen Hill
