Haitian Fraud Alert
2:16 pm Eastern Time
In the wake of the devastating Haiti earthquake, consumers are being advised to exercise caution before giving donations in response to unsolicited e-mail messages, websites, door-to-door collections, mailings, and telephone calls.
If you receive any suspicious solicitations, the FBI and the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) have established a 24/7 telephone hotline to report suspected Haitian earthquake relief fraud. The number is (866) 720-5721. You can also e-mail information directly to disaster@leo.gov.
The following guidelines have been published by the FBI National Press Office:
* Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages.
* Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
* Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same as those of reputable charities.
* Rather than following a purported link to a website, verify the legitimacy of non-profit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group’s existence and its non-profit status.
* Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files, because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
* To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
* Do not be pressured into making contributions, as reputable charities do not use such tactics.
* Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions. Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.
* Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by debit or credit card, or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals.
If you want to make a contribution to help relief efforts in Haiti, you might consider sending your donation using one of the following charity websites:
The American Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross
Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
