When disaster strikes, Americans want to help. It’s part of the fabric of this nation.
But two recent disasters – the terror attack in New Orleans and the wildfires in Los Angeles – have prompted the FBI to issue an urgent warning about scammers looking to exploit the tragedies.
“Scammers take advantage of catastrophic incidents — such as mass casualty events, terrorist attacks, war, natural disasters or pandemics — to pose as charitable entities providing humanitarian aid or developing fundraising efforts, including monetary and cryptocurrency donations,” the FBI press release warned. “Charitable fraud schemes associated with natural disasters are a common occurrence online as well as through in-person collection drives.”
Sharing our blessings and resources when disaster strikes is the right thing to do. Unfortunately, fraudsters often use these events to intercept or redirect donations.
Jeff Taylor, head of Commercial Fraud Forensics for Regions Bank
At Regions Bank, we work diligently on educating our customers and the public about ongoing fraud threats. The disaster scam is one of the most nefarious because victims on the ground are already vulnerable.
“Sharing our blessings and resources when disaster strikes is the right thing to do,” said Jeff Taylor, head of Commercial Fraud Forensics for Regions Bank. “Unfortunately, fraudsters often use these events to intercept or redirect donations. Be sure to follow these tips from the FBI.”
FBI Tips to Protect Yourself from Disaster Scams
- Do your own research before you donate to anything. Confirm the validity of any charitable opportunity. Best practices include, but are not limited to: Verifying charities by researching the charity online to see if there are news articles, reviews or posts linking the charity to fraud; checking to see if the charity is registered with your state’s charity regulator, if available; and checking the Internal Revenue Service’s website (https://www.irs.gov) to see if the charity is registered.
- Validating that crowdfunding efforts are supporting the beneficiaries advertised; researching who is behind the crowdfunding request; researching who the request is intended to benefit and if the need is legitimate; and reverse searching images and stories associated with the request, as scammers will often copy and paste material stolen from others.
- Be suspicious of online communications claiming to be from individuals affected by the events and seeking immediate financial assistance.
- Recognize that pressure to “act fast” might be a sign of a scam.
- Do not send payments to unknown individuals or organizations asking for financial assistance.
- Do not communicate with or open texts, posts, emails, attachments, or links from unknown individuals posing as entities soliciting charitable donations or humanitarian aid.
- Review email headers and domain information to evaluate legitimacy. Emails from official organizations almost never will come from free email services. IP addresses can reveal if the information is originating from overseas. Domain names and IP addresses’ current registration information may be available through the registry at ICANN.org if it was not restricted by the domain or IP address owner.
- If an unknown individual contacts you, do not release any financial or personal identifying information (PII), and do not send any money.
- If you have already donated funds and believe you are a victim of a scheme, do not pay additional fees or taxes to obtain a refund of your money. Do not pay for any services that claim they can recover lost funds.
- Do not use debit, gift, or prepaid cards for payment.
“Following these tips can ensure that your donations are going to a reputable and worthy cause,” said Kimberly Reece of the Fraud Prevention Customer Advocacy team at Regions Bank. “Sharing this information with your family and friends can also help them make informed decisions about where and how to help those in need.”
Following these tips can ensure that your donations are going to a reputable and worthy cause.
Kimberly Reece, Fraud Prevention Customer Advocacy team at Regions Bank
If you think you are a victim of a disaster scam, report it immediately to the government’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Provide as much identifying information as possible (including individual or charity names, phone numbers and addresses and websites used in the deception).
Remember, there are plenty of people in need. Just make sure your donation gets to the right people.
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The information presented is general in nature and should not be considered, legal, accounting or tax advice. Regions reminds its customers that they should be vigilant about fraud and security and that they are responsible for taking action to protect their computer systems. Fraud prevention requires a continuous review of your policies and practices, as the threat evolves daily. There is no guarantee that all fraudulent transactions will be prevented or that related financial losses will not occur. Visit regions.com/STOPFRAUD or speak with your Banker for further information on how you can help prevent fraud.