Fraud Warning from the FBI

The FBI has warned consumers that with all the natural disasters, fraudulent requests for assistance will increase. They recommend paying attention to these following points:

• Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.
  
  
• Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as officials soliciting via e-mail for donations.
  
  
• Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
  
  
• Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
  
  
• To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
  
  
• Validate the legitimacy of the organization by directly accessing the recognized charity or aid organization's website rather than following an alleged link to the site.
  
  
• Attempt to verify the legitimacy of the non-profit status of the organization by using various Internet-based resources, which also may assist in confirming the actual existence of the organization.
  
  
• Do not provide personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.