Give with care at holiday time: Avoid online donation scamsPublished: November 3, 2006  Online giving can be a quick and convenient way to make year-end donations to your favorite charities. However, as online giving grows in popularity, so do online donation scams. Donation scams not only work to steal your money, they also keep it from reaching legitimate charity and relief groups, and those in need of your financial support. Fraud through e-mail solicitation and phishingOnline donation scams typically appear in the form of spam e-mail messages and postings in online forums, asking for donations in the name of well-known legitimate charities. A type of fraud called phishing often arrives as a spam e-mail, with links to apparently charitable Web sites. But these Web sites are actually "spoofed": clever fakes designed to take your money and steal your identity. Tips to help avoid holiday e-mail scams| • | Be on guard if you receive an unsolicited e-mail from a charitable organization asking for money. Don't be quick to click links or enter any personal information. | | • | Instead of responding to solicitations, contact well-known and established charity agencies yourself, and stick with ones that you or people you trust have used before. | | • | Navigate to the Web site on your own if you receive an e-mail request from a charity that you'd like to support, instead of clicking links in an e-mail. | | • | Be wary of e-mails from strangers or unknown sources, especially those claiming to have attached photos, which can come infected with computer viruses. | | • | Improve your computer's security and use current technology to help block spam. |
Tips to help avoid holiday scams on the Web| • | Use the Microsoft Phishing Filter to help detect fraudulent Web sites. | | • | Double-check the spelling of the organization's Web site and the actual Internet address (for example, http://www.redcross.org) before you continue browsing a Web site. Spoofed Web sites often use deliberate, easily overlooked misspellings to deceive users. | | • | Make sure the site uses encryption technology to help avoid Web site spoofing before you provide any credit card number or personal information. Also check for a written policy about protecting personal information. | | • | Keep up to date on the latest online scams through trusted technology news providers, government agencies, and other professional sources. |
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