Oklahoma’s devastating tornados in May 2013 resulted in massive relief efforts for the stricken population. It also resulted in a number of bogus charities that used the disaster to collect money that went straight into the scammers’ pockets, as did tornados in other southern states.
In addition, a number of states cracked down on commercial telemarketing operations that misled consumers about the money they were collecting, supposedly for a charitable cause. In many cases, officials charged that none, or only a small percentage, actually went to the groups being represented.
Beware of newly created websites and twitter accounts may try to take advantage of those looking to contribute to fundraising efforts. Others could target individuals interested in simply learning more details about the incident. For example, emails that appear as if they have been sent from a legitimate news or charitable organization may in fact be phishing attempts.
Here are a few ways you can protect yourself from online scams and phishing techniques:
Only donate money to known and credible fundraising charities.
Exercise caution when clicking on email links or interacting with social media accounts that claim to represent the best interests of those involved in this incident.
When searching for updates on the story, it is safest to go directly to trusted news sources rather than conducting general search engine queries.
If you suspect you have received a phishing email, please send it to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) at phishing-report@us-cert.gov.
For more information on protecting yourself and your information online, visit www.dhs.gov/StopThinkConnect.
Of course you can save time and hassle buy using Sunset Coupon Books for your next fundraiser. Give us a call 800-627-6340 at and find out how easy and fun Sunset Coupons can be.
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Sunset Coupons, LLC
800-627-6340
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