Beware the Online
'Charity' Scam
For many of us, the
transition to the New Year was full of thoughts and hopes for a prosperous
2005. But for others in Southeast Asia, the New Year started with a
natural disaster in the form of a destructive Tsunami. It was a disaster hard
for many of us to comprehend.
There are millions of
people in need of aid and assistance, in need of things such as
shelter, clothing, food, drinking water, and medications just to name a few.
And millions have answered the call. During disasters like this, it becomes apparent there really is tremendous
good in humanity. Friends and foe alike set aside their differences
for a short while and try to find ways to help.
Unfortunately, just as
there are those who legitimately want to help, there are those who will take
advantage of them. A lot of times it will be in the form of online charity scams.
It is not uncommon for
people with malicious intent to use e-mail and Internet scams to defraud
people out of money during a crisis. Although traditional scams
requesting money via postal mail and phone calls are quite prevalent, the
Internet and e-mail can target many more people and in a very short period
of time.
Being aware of online charity scams is your best defense.
If you receive and
e-mail requesting donations for any cause from someone or some organization
you've never heard of, your best bet is to delete it. In fact, even
requests you receive that appear to be from well known organizations may
indeed be "Wolves in Sheep's clothing."
Online Charity Scammers have become very
adept at pulling the wool over peoples eyes. In some cases, you may
even be directed to a website that looks exactly like that of a well known
and trusted organization. Only to find out later, after you've made your
contribution, that it was a replica or fake, made to look just like the real
site.
I warn people all the
time to be cautious and selective about what they believe to be true when it
comes to the Internet and e-mail. It won't hurt you to do some
research and make sure that your donations are going to the right
organizations.
The fact of the
matter is, more than one person is effected by unscrupulous people looking
to make a buck off the misfortune of others. If you become a victim of
electronic / Internet fraud in times like these, you're not the only one who
will lose out; Those in need of your assistance will as well.
For a list of trusted,
legitimate organizations accepting contributions for those affected by the
Southeast Asia earthquake and tsunamis, please point your browser to the
Network For Good. A
coalition of 160 relief, development, and
refugee assistance organizations.
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