By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The tragic situation in Haiti is spawning a host of online scammers and “text to donate” services that generous Americans need to be aware of.
Fox News reports that consumer advocates are warning people to beware of a rash of phoney “text to donate” numbers that are targeting people who want to make a donation from their cell phone.
According to the SANS Internet Storm Center, an organization which monitors the level of malicious activity on the Internet, there are currently two trustworthy “text to donate” sites:
1. Texting HAITI to 90999: This site has been set up on the U.S. Department of State’s web site and suggests texting HAITI to “90999” to donate $10 to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts. The $10 will be charged to your cell phone bill.
2. Texting YELE to 501501: This site has been set up on Twitter by Haitian musician Wyclef Jean who notes: “Haiti needs your help text YELE to 501501 and 5 dollars will go toward earthquake relief.” Yele Haiti is a movement Jean set up in Haiti to inspire change through programs in education, sports, the arts and environment.
“Both short codes in use right now, 501501 and 90999, are tracing back to registered twitter accounts and I consider them authentic at this point,” said the Center’s Johannes B. Ullrich.
However, reports of “text to donate” scams are on the rise and the Center says people are already registering domain names related to the Haitian earthquake, which is the first step toward setting up a Web site. While this doesn’t necessarily mean all the newly registered domains will be used by scammers, many of them could end up being used to rip off charity-minded Americans.
“We don’t assume that all of them will be,” the Center’s Joel Ester told Fox, “but it does happen, and it’s unfortunate that spammers and phishers prey on people attempting to provide relief for those in need — especially during such a devastating disaster as this.”
Experts are warning people to only give to organizations whose names they recognize, have personally researched, or are referred to by a trusted source.
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