Watch out for Harvey scams
How to help the needy and not get ripped off
As you consider clicking a link to donate to a Hurricane Harvey charity, take a page from the old Russian proverb, “Trust, but verify.”
Scammers come out of the woodwork when Americans clamor to help those in need.
These criminals are well organized and methodical. Many of the URLs they might be using could have been registered months ago, experts say.
“Every year when the National Weather Service releases the names for that year’s storms, people start registering the online domains so they can scam people,” said Walt Green, former director of the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud.
That goes for any type of disaster, says Green, who now practices cybercrime law at Phelps Dunbar in Baton Rouge.
Scams aren’t just domains asking for money. They also come via email. Which is why you should never give money via a link someone sends you, no matter how
You can help without getting ripped off by well-organized crooks
much you trust them — they could have been scammed as well, Green said.
“If you want to give money to an organization, type its name into a browser and go directly to them. That way you know you’re giving to who you think you’re giving to,” he said.
Also be wary of email attachments that claim they’re links to charitable organizations as these can contain malware, the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team warned. CERT recommends checking with whoever you believed sent the email to make sure they actually sent it. And do so by typing their address in yourself — don’t just hit reply.
It’s also a good idea to check to make sure the organization exists. That’s easy to do online by going to sites such as CharityNavigator.org, Better Business Wise Giving Alliance or GuideStar, all of which vet charitable organizations. If you run across a charity you think might be a fraud, drop a line to the Department of Justice at disaster@leo.gov, which tracks and works to shut down such scams.