From the CAUCE site
(http://www.cauce.org/pressreleases/20010912.shtml)
Email groups warn of terrorism-related scams online
SAN FRANCISCO -- September 12, 2001 -- Email protection and consumer
advocacy groups warned today of online attempts to fraudulently profit
from yesterday's attacks on the USA. These attempts are taking the form
of unsolicited e-mail ("spam") and postings in community forums,
soliciting "donations" in the name of victims of the attacks.
A typical message claims to be part of an "Express Relief Fund" or
"Victims Survivor Fund". One message claims that donations will go to
the Red Cross, but the donation link leads to a Web site unconnected
with that organization.
The Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email (CAUCE) and SpamCon
Foundation offer these tips to help determine whether a request is
valid:
If you don't know the organization or person who sent the request, it's
probably fraudulent.
Virtually no bona-fide relief agencies request funds by sending email
to people who are not already involved in that agency. Solicitations
made in this way may also violate laws in the United States and Europe.
(See http://law.spamcon.org.)
If you click on a link to donate, examine the URL shown in your
browser. If the domain name of the URL is hidden, unfamiliar, or doesn't
match the link's text, the request is probably fraudulent.
Verify the solicitor's identity through another medium (such as phone)
before giving money. Spammers frequently forge the identity and style of
well-known entities to gain credibility.
"WTC spams" appeared within an hour of the World Trade Center disaster.
Some, while not fraudulent, made light of the event. One spam promised,
"No terrorists here! Join our porn site, turn off the TV, quit watching
the crap happening in the states, and join our free site!"
The Red Cross is a legitimate organization active in supporting victims
of the tragedy and their families. To donate, visit their official Web
site (http://www.redcross.org) or call 1-800-HELP-NOW. If you have
trouble reaching the Red Cross directly, donations are also possible
online through PayPal (http://www.paypal.com) and Amazon (http://www.amazon.com).
-- --Bill Yates --mailto:billyates@billyates.com --mailto:wtyates@aol.com --http://www.billyates.com/ --Moderator, Writer's Club Christian Writer's Workshop --Editor, WorldVillage.com's Believer's Weekly --Theron Services: Web Design, Editing, Writing
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