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Beware of “Katrina” & “Rita” and other disaster-relief related scams

Remar Sutton, DCU StreetWise Spokesperson

In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina & Rita and so much human suffering, thieves and scamsters have been very active. Most recently, some scamsters were active even before Rita made landfall. Here are some of the numerous scams reported by Internet Scambusters and the Washington Post:
  • Web sites purporting to collect money for relief efforts that are actually "phishing" for your personal information or just plain stealing money. Many of these sites have been shut down very quickly by Internet security organizations. Others pop-up just as quickly.
  • Fake e-mails supposedly from legitimate charities requesting donations.
  • Chain letter e-mails that state for every copy of the email that is forwarded, 50 cents will be donated to help victims. This is false.
  • E-mails with pictures of the disaster area or survivors may contain viruses that can take over the recipient's computer.
  • E-mails that tout specific stocks based on activity related to Hurricane Katrina.
  • Misleading e-mails that try to take advantage of the disaster to sell unrelated products.
  • E-mails requesting donations to help specific family members.
  • Variants of the old Nigerian scam have also appeared.
  • Hate sites that call the tragedies the “Wrath of God” then ask for donations.
  • Scammers are also posing as officials from government agencies, banks, insurance companies, credit card companies, etc. and are claiming they will help victims in some way (such as help process their insurance claims more quickly).
  • Contractor scams where persons are asking for money up front to do repair work and then not showing up to do the work.
  • E-mails offering that for a fee they will locate missing disaster victims.
How to avoid these scams
NEVER click on links in any of these types of e-mails. Type in the address of a known charity that you have located independently or go to the site through a verified list such as FEMA's National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.
Check out a charity before donating. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance has reports on nationally soliciting charitable organizations.
Your best bet is to delete these e-mails without opening them. Legitimate charities won't solicit donations by email.
For more information
Helping Victims of Hurricane Katrina: Your Guide to Giving Wisely from the FTC
Tips on Disaster Relief Appeals from the BBB Wise Giving Alliance
Remar's Review: Giving Wisely

Breaking news analysis prepared for DCU by Remar Sutton & Associates, September 2005.

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