Privacy Tip #345 – Be Wary of Scammers After Natural Disasters

Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider
Contact

It was heartbreaking to watch the reports of Hurricane Ian as it landed on the west coast of Florida. The damage and losses left in its wake will be overwhelming and catastrophic for Floridians; the toll will become clearer over the next few days. We all feel a sense of hurt and loss for them and want to help.

Many organizations will mobilize to offer assistance to victims in the days and weeks to come. At the same time, scammers will be looking to tug on our heartstrings to try to get us to send money to fraudulent organizations pretending to help the victims of the hurricane.

This is an old trick to prey on good-natured individuals to divert funds when we are most vulnerable. [insert previous blog articles here on charity scams]. Help those in need, but be wary of scammers in the process. Here are some tips to avoid being scammed:

  • Research the organization you are interested in donating to, and make sure you are on the organization’s legitimate website when donating through a website.
  • Donate to charities you have donated to before, which you know to be legitimate and experienced in responding to disasters.
  • Be wary of any solicitations for donations of gift cards, cash, cryptocurrency or wires.
  • Be wary of responding to a random email requesting a donation and don’t click on links or attachments provided in a solicitation.
  • Don’t trust a solicitation in an email or text, even if a legitimate charity’s logo is included.
  • Be cautious about donating to crowdsource funding sites.

Donating to help victims is a worthy effort. Use these tips to make sure your donation gets into the right hands and makes a difference.

[View source.]

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.

© Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider | Attorney Advertising

Written by:

Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider
Contact
more
less

PUBLISH YOUR CONTENT ON JD SUPRA NOW

  • Increased visibility
  • Actionable analytics
  • Ongoing guidance

Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider on:

Reporters on Deadline

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
Custom Email Digest
- hide
- hide