CHICAGO — Scammers emerge as predictably as earthquake aftershocks following natural disasters, making it imperative for consumers to be wary of unsolicited appeals to aid victims in Haiti.
The FBI and security experts Thursday warned of the likelihood of scams as requests for donations start pouring in via e-mail, text message, telephone and Twitter.
Their key advice: Look carefully before you give money or personal information, and contribute to a known group. Evidence of potential fraud already has surfaced.
More than 400 Internet addresses related to Haiti have been registered since Monday’s devastating quake, Internet security expert Joel Esler said. Many of the Web addresses will probably prove legitimate and redirect to proven charity sites, but many more will be bogus and associated with websites that host malicious software, spyware or other hazardous content.
Be careful not to respond to unsolicited e-mails, said the FBI. One such e-mail seeking help Thursday purported to be from a lawyer in Port-au- Prince whose entire family had died and who was given just days to live himself. He asked for assistance — and cash — in distributing his family fortune.
Not all bogus solicitations will be so obvious or arrive marked as spam.
Here are other tips from the FBI, charities and other sources to help you steer clear of aid scams:
• Don’t click on links or open attachments contained within aid-related spam, even if they claim to contain pictures of the tragedy. The attachments may be viruses.
• Check out the organizations on websites for the Better Business Bureau (); the Foundation Center (), a New York- based authority on philanthropy; and Charity Navigator (), an independent nonprofit organization that evaluates charity groups based on effectiveness and financial stability.
• Be extremely skeptical of websites that ask for detailed personal information, such as your Social Security number, birthdate or bank account and PIN information. That may leave you vulnerable to identity theft.
