Watch out for Haiti relief scams
News of a major, devastating earthquake in Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation, inspired many people to do whatever they can to help. But unfortunately, a few people take tragedy and disaster as prime opportunities to create scams and prey on those who want to lend a helping hand.
The FBI is warning everyone to watch out for disaster relief scams. If you are directly contacted by someone asking for money to go to relief efforts, whether via email, letter, or on Twitter or Facebook, it’s best not to respond. Most legit charities and relief organizations will not contact you directly to solicit donations. Also, the FBI says it’s never a good idea to donate cash, especially to individuals.
Basically, if you think it’s suspicious, more than likely it is. Your best bet would be to check out the Better Business Bureau to find legitimate charity programs.
Two hoaxes circulated via Twitter this morning, one stating that American Airlines is flying doctors and nurses to Haiti who are looking to help. The other stated that UPS would ship packages under 50 pounds to Haiti for no charge. Both are completely false.
It’s really sad that people use situations like this for personal financial gain, but it’s a reality. If you really want to help, I personally suggest donating to the Red Cross. If you text “Haiti” to 90999, a $10 charge will be added to your monthly phone bill and that money will immediately be sent to the Red Cross for Haiti earthquake relief efforts.
BTW, the Red Cross has been able to raise $3 million so far through text message donations. How awesome is that?
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there are so many scams running on the internete so watch out-*;