In times of great need, there will always be those who take
advantage of the generosity of others. This week’s tragic Haitian earthquake is
no exception. Genuine charitable relief funds have successfully raised millions
to help those struggling to recover; while no specific scams have been named as
of yet, past tragedies have shown that fraudulent “charities” will inevitably
surface to exploit those looking to help, resulting in identity fraud.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published a press release
this week warning consumers seeking to donate to the Haitian emergency relief
to do so with caution. Fraudulent sites often employ search engine optimization
(SEO) tactics to cause their listings to appear in the top tier of search
results using major engines, making the unwary consumer likely to visit their
sites instead of those that would contribute to the relief. In addition to the
criminal redirection of well-intended funds, visiting these sites can cause
malicious software to be downloaded onto consumer computers, which can result
in identity theft.
The FBI also suggests refraining from opening e-mails
claiming to contain images or video of the Haitian earthquake, as they are also
very likely to be vehicles for malicious software.
To make a genuine donation to Haitian relief without the
risk of encountering malicious Web sites or software, we recommend doing so
directly through the American Red Cross.