Give with care
Tips for avoiding online donation scams
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More and more, in times of crisis, people use the Internet to contribute money quickly to aid organizations such as Red Cross/Red Crescent, Mercy Corps, UNICEF, and many others that provide relief to victims worldwide. Unfortunately, while the Internet has made it easier to make a donation, the Web has also led to an increase in online donation scams. In our effort to lend aid quickly, many of us set aside our cynicism and become more susceptible to false online solicitations. Donation fraud not only cons givers out of their money, it also takes its toll on legitimate groups, which denies them funds for relief efforts and cheats real disaster victims.
How to spot an online donation scam
It's great to give, but make sure it counts. Most online donation scams typically take the form of unwanted and sometimes fraudulent spam e-mail messages and postings in online forums that ask for donations in the name of victims, relief, and survivor funds, or specifically for well-known legitimate charities. A new form of fraud called phishing is a type of spam or pop-up window that claims to be from a legitimate organization, but is used to con money or personal information from unwary users. Phishing e-mails continue to become more sophisticated and often provide links to spoofed or phony Web sites that appear to be official. Phishing can also be done over the phone, so be skeptical of phone solicitations for charitable causes, as well. Please continue to donate, but do so with caution.
Tips to help avoid online scams
| • | Improve your computer's security and use current technology to help block spam. |
| • | Be on guard if you receive an unsolicited e-mail from a charitable organization that asks you for money. Don't be too quick to click any links or enter any personal information. |
| • | Instead of responding to solicitations, contact well-known and established charity agencies that you or people you trust have used before. |
| • | If you do receive an e-mail request from a charity you'd like to support, go to its Web site or call the organization for verification and to find out how to contribute. |
| • | While online, manually type in the aid organization's address into your Internet browser. |
| • | Double-check the spelling of the organization's Web site, and make it your habit to look at 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. |
| • | Be wary of e-mails from strangers or unknown sources, especially those who claim to have attached photos of disaster victims or areas—these attachments could be infected with computer viruses or worse. |
| • | If you provide your credit card number or personal information to a charity-related Web site, make sure you use current encryption technology and that the site has a written policy about how to protect personal information. |
| • | Keep up to date on the latest online scams through trusted technology news providers, government agencies, and other professional sources. |
