
ABOVE: A realistic looking but bogus "Unicef" website set up by scamsters in the wake of the Haiti quake (click for larger image).
Security software company Symantec is reminding New Zealanders that with natural disasters comes email scams.
Fraudsters are quick to prey on people’s emotions, with bogus emails and phony websites devised to steal what should have been charitable donations.
Earlier this year, Symantec saw a massive outbreak of spam following the Haitian earthquake. Many realistic-looking but bogus websites appeared within just 24 hours of the disaster, the company's Asia Pacific SMD director, Steve Martin, told NBR.
The company cybercriminals to leverage New Zealand’s quake for the same malicious purposes. Almost all operate from offshore.
Symantec Security experts urge computer users to follow best practices to help stay safe online, and ensure donations and support reach the victims and not the scammers.
Mr Martin said that when donating to a charity online, always remember:
• Avoid clicking on suspicious links in email or IM messages as these may be links to spoofed websites. Symantec security experts suggest typing web addresses, such as those for a charitable organisation, directly into the browser rather than clicking on links within messages.
• Never fill out forms in messages that ask for personal or financial information or passwords. A reputable charitable organisation is unlikely to ask for your personal details via e-mail. When in doubt, contact the organisation in question via an independent, trusted mechanism, such as a verified telephone number, or a known internet address that you type into a new browser window (do not click or cut and paste from a link in the message).
If you do want to give online, legitimate places to start include The Red Cross and the Christchurch City Council's site.
NBR staff
Mon, 06 Sep 2010