FW: WARNING Regarding Disaster Relief E-mail Scams
Randy L. Langford
Please see email below.
Randy L. Langford
2009
Juris Doctor Candidate
Member, St. Mary’s School
of Law Restorative Justice Initiative
Protecting the Lord's children who have fallen short of perfection from the wrath of those who believe they have attained it - Stuart Kinard
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From: Michael Gilbert
[mailto:Michael...@utsa.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, September 10,
2008 12:16 PM
Subject: FW: WARNING Regarding
Disaster Relief E-mail Scams
Importance: High
Good Afternoon,
The University of Texas system forwarded this FBI warning about web based disaster relief scams that are expected to surface in the next few days after Hurricane Ike hits the Gulf Coast.
I thought this might be of interest to you as well as your family and friends.
Best wishes for a safe weekend.
Mike
From:
irapc-bounces+mbaland=utsa...@lists.state.tx.us
[mailto:irapc-bounces+mbaland=utsa...@lists.state.tx.us] On Behalf Of Perez, Bill
Sent: Wednesday, September 10,
2008 8:00 AM
To:
security...@lists.state.tx.us; tx-...@lists.state.tx.us
Cc: s...@txdps.state.tx.us;
ir...@lists.state.tx.us
Subject: [irapc] WARNING Regarding
Disaster Relief E-mail Scams
Importance: High
FBI Warns of E-mail Relief Scams Following Recent Hurricanes and Other Natural Disasters
NOTE: In view of the potential impact of Hurricane Ike and other recent tropical storm activity, state entities should disseminate the following alert within their organizations as widely as possible.
The FBI asks that individuals beware of e-mails claiming to seek donations for major disaster relief efforts. The FBI will be checking for fraudulent websites and e-mails and will thoroughly investigate all complaints.
Since late May and early June 2008, there have been several natural disasters throughout the country —including hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods— that have devastated lives and property. In the wake of these events, which cause emotional distress and great financial loss to numerous victims, individuals across the nation often feel a desire to help, frequently through monetary donations. Unfortunately, these events have also have prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization and/or a good cause. Before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, to include the following tips:
TIPS ON AVOIDING FRAUDULENT CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION SCHEMES
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
Source: http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm
Office of the Chief Information Security Officer
State of Texas
Texas Department of Information Resources
Austin, Texas