Details: When Hurricane Katrina first hit in 2005, scams popped up within hours. Hurricane Gustav is no different, and Hanna, Ike and others will likely be the same in the days and weeks to come.
Online scams are likely to pop up in your inbox. How can you determine what is a scam and what is authentic? Chances are that any e-mail asking for donations is a scam. But the e-mail scammers are very tricky. They have created e-mails that sound authentic, tear at your heartstrings, and make you feel compelled to "donate" to disaster relief.
So, to help protect you from scams that are almost certain to find you, we provide the following information.
Phishing Scams
Prior to Hurricane Gustav’s landfall, the Louisiana Attorney General's office started seeing bogus e-mails asking people to "confirm" their bank information before the hurricane hit. These e-mails sent people to bogus Web sites that could then be used by scammers for financial fraud and identity theft.
Also, Web sites that claim to be legitimate Hurricane Gustav relief organizations have been created. They ask people to donate money by giving your financial information. The donated money will go straight into the pockets of con artists. The scammers can use this information to steal your identity, as well.
Here's an example of what an e-mail could look like:
"Please give your charitable donations to the victims of Hurricane Gustav. The chaos and destruction experienced by the region and its victims is unimaginable. But you can help these people regain their lives by giving them some hope. Your donation will go a long way to giving these victims their lives back. Our prayers and compassion go out to them. Make a generous donation to the American Red Cross.
This scam sounds legitimate and plays on your emotions.
Action: If you want to make a donation through the Red Cross or another disaster relief organization, go to an organization's office itself, or the official Web site by typing in the domain name, like RedCross.org.
Viruses and Malware
These e-mails usually are geared to getting you to open them and click on the attachment, which then infects your computer with a virus or malware.
For example, the subject line of an e-mail might read something like "80% of city under water" or "Entire neighborhoods completely washed away." Attached are photos related to the subject line—either real or bogus. The attachments often contain viruses or malware that track everything you do on your computer or give the sender complete access to your computer.
Action: Delete e-mails such as this. Don't click on the attachments.
Variations of the Nigerian Fee Scam
In this scam, the sender plays on your emotions again. You are supposed to help someone retrieve large amounts of money that are, for some reason, tied up in relation to an area the hurricane has hit.
Action: As with any other scam e-mail, delete it.
Investment, Energy, and Security Scams
Since 10% of the natural gas and 5% of the crude oil that Americans consume is produced off the U.S. Gulf Coast, it is very likely that a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico will produce some investment, energy and security scams. After Hurricane Katrina, the SEC reported that e-mails being circulated claimed certain penny stocks would skyrocket in value. Reasons varied. Some were supposed to rise because of "refinery glitches."
Action: Delete all e-mails promoting stocks, futures, and other investments related to any hurricane.
E-mails that relate to a disaster to sell unrelated products
What do weight loss products have to do with a hurricane? Nothing. But there are some that will try to sell products that have nothing to do with hurricane relief. Here’s an example of what one of these emails might look like:
Subject: Entire street washed away
Officials predict that as many as 45 people were washed away when flooding destroyed this New Orleans neighborhood. Hours after Gustav struck, entire neighborhoods were no more. Winds in excess of 120 mph uprooted trees and flooding washed away any evidence of civilization.
Action: Ignore and delete these e-mails.
E-mails asking for individual donations to help a victim's family
These scams are simple. They are often just a one- or two-sentence e-mail asking for a donation. For example:
Subject: My younger sister has only the clothes on her back thanks to Hurricane Gustav. Please help her with a donation.
Action: Delete these e-mails.
Hate Web Sites
These Web sites claim a disaster is "the wrath of God." They might claim the victims were "wicked" and got what they deserved. Then they ask people to donate to them, either for financial or identity theft purposes.
Action: Delete these e-mails.
Chain Letters
Here's an example: "Every time this e-mail is forwarded, 25 cents will be donated to Hurricane Gustav victims." Completely bogus.
Action: Delete these e-mails and do not pass them along.
Scammers Claiming To Be Official Government Agencies, Banks, Credit Card Companies, Etc.
Scammers who try this will claim they can help victims by expediting insurance claims or donating money. They often use replicas of well-known logos, like credit card and insurance companies. The goal of these scams is to steal credit card, bank, and Social Security numbers, as well as other personal information.
Action: Delete these e-mails
Contractor Scams
Contractor scams are more common offline than online. Scammers pose as contractors and ask people for money so they can do immediate, upfront repair work. Of course, since they are not real contractors, they will never show up to do any repair work. Some real contractors also take advantage of the disaster by price gouging. Since there is a shortage of legitimate contractors, people are relieved to find someone to do their work. State attorney generals has already warned that their offices will prosecute price gouging.
Action: Be skeptical and deal with only reputable contractors.
Fee-based Spam
These e-mails offer to locate people you know who may have been a hurricane victim.
Action: Delete these e-mails.
Loss Prevention Recommendations:
In summary (and in addition to the advice above), here are four ways you can keep yourself safe from hurricane scams:
Use common sense. And remember, if it is spam, it's a scam.
Never donate from an e-mail request. It's almost certainly a scam. Never click on the links in e-mails. Make sure any charity you donate to is legitimate. Find out how to tell if charities are legitimate here: http://www.scambusters.org/charities.html
Don't open attachments in unknown e-mails. There is a good chance they contain viruses or malware.