The U.S. has had to tackle several natural disasters throughout the country in recent years, from tornadoes and wildfires to floods and earthquakes. Natural disasters like these typically cause emotional distress and great financial loss to scores of victims, leading many individuals to want to help, frequently through monetary donations. But these sympathetic and sometimes emotional donors have become the target of fraudsters seeking to divert donations from intended beneficiaries.
According to the FBI, donors unaware of the risks posed by emotional donations, particularly those made online, often become prey to individuals who fraudulently solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization or a good cause. To combat these predatory tactics, the Bureau recommends that donors adhere to the following guidelines:
Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail;
Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as officials soliciting via e-mail for donations;
Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail;
Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only
open attachments from known senders;
Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf to ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes,;
Validate the legitimacy of the organization by directly accessing the recognized charity or aid organization’s website rather than following an alleged link to the site;
Attempt to verify the legitimacy of the non-profit status of the organization by using various Internet-based resources, which also may assist in confirming the actual existence of the organization;
Do not provide personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.
To obtain more information on charitable contribution schemes and other types of online schemes, visit www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com. If you are a victim of an online scheme, please notify the IC3 by filing a complaint at www.ic3.gov.