DC Government warning note about scam charities (worth the read)

[Ron Mexico]

FYI:

To all DC Government personnel:

We have received information indicating that Internet domain names are being created that could be used to lure unwary users into visiting potentially malicious or fraudulent websites.
Relief and charity efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina began immediately after the hurricane devastated the Gulf Coast area.

Shortly thereafter, websites began to appear which were designed to defraud unsuspecting users. Some of the activities include soliciting donations for seemingly charitable purposes, attempting to collect personal information through phishing scams, and spreading viruses to users that visit the fraudulent websites.
Over the past few days, email scams requesting donations for those impacted by the hurricane have also begun to circulate the Internet. While some of these sites and messages may be legitimate, many are not. At the time of this alert, please be aware that the following websites are reported to be suspicious:

katrinahelp.com
katrinacleanup.com
katrinarelief.com.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and additional domains may continue to appear.

In addition to fraudulent websites, opportunists may use this event as a vehicle for other types of online attacks. For example, beware that email messages that claim to contain attachments with photos, video, or other information about Hurricane Katrina may actually contain viruses, worms, or other malware.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

We recommend that all DC employees:

• Validate the relief fund or charity through a known reliable entity. Please refer to the FEMA link below for a list of reputable disaster relief resources for Hurricane Katrina. The FTC link below provides guidelines on best practices for charitable donations.

• When a message containing a request for donations for these victims appears, do not respond unless you are certain it is a valid message. Better yet, use the Better Business Bureau’s guidelines below on how to evaluate solicitations BEFORE you send money or give them your credit card number.

• Avoid visiting untrusted websites.

• Avoid opening email messages and attachments that claim to contain video, photos, or other information relating to relief solicitation for Hurricane Katrina.

• Follow standard best practices for email and web browsing security.

Federal Emergency Management Agency:
http://www.fema.gov/press/2005/resources_katrina.shtm

Federal Trade Commission:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/misc/charitycheck.htm

Better Business Bureau:
http://www.give.org/news/disaster_pr.asp

If you suspect you have been duped by an unscrupulous online charity, please contact the Consumer Protection Hotline at 202-442-9828.

[xultar]

1. Operation Blessing on the list?