The FBI today reminds Internet users who receive appeals to donate money in the
aftermath of Tuesday’s earthquake in
Therefore, before making a donation
of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, to include the
following:
- Do not
respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links
contained within those messages.
- Be skeptical
of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking
for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
- Verify the
legitimacy of nonprofit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based
resources that may assist in confirming the group’s existence and its nonprofit
status rather than following a purported link to the site.
- Be cautious
of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files
because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
- Make
contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to
make the donation on your behalf to ensure contributions are received and used
for intended purposes.
- Do not give
your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions:
Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable
to identity theft.
Anyone who has received an e-mail
referencing the above information or anyone who may have been a victim of this
or a similar incident should notify the IC3 via www.ic3.gov. For further information, please visit the FBI's
Web site: http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel10/earthquake011310.htm
This link is not from FEMA but from a post at another site offering more tips on how to help without being frauded:
http://lifehacker.com/5447987/how-and-where-to-donate-to-haiti-and-avoid-scams