Gail On Tech

Beware of scammers in wake of Haiti earthquake

Don’t expect any sympathy from cyber criminals  for the many thousands of dead and dispossessed in the wake of Haiti earthquake.

On the contrary, news of the disaster will be music to their ears — the music of ringing cash registers that is.

My disgust for these vile creatures, preying on the misfortune of others for their own gain, knows no bounds. However, these days, with cyber crime rife, your head has to rule your heart when it comes to public appeals for donations for disaster relief.

With appeals for donations of money to help the international aid effort to eleviate the suffering of the people of Haiti, you can expect to receive emails requesting you commit to a contribution, particularly while the disaster is fresh and emotions are running high.

Emails will already be circulating, purporting to be from reputable aid organisations, appealing for funds to help in the crisis in Haiti. However, these will almost exclusively be scams, and if you click on any links in them or give any financial details in response, you will no doubt experience your own disaster and grief.

However, don’t let these rogues scare you off making a donation. If you are moved to contribute money to help the poorest nation in the world cope with this latest catastrophic  blow, contact aid agencies directly to find out how best to donate, or listen to TV and radio news where details of official appeals will no doubt be broadcast.

This is a timely reminder that you need to make sure that your computer’s security software is up to date and that you treat all unsolicited emails as suspicious. Most security software suites now have phishing detection to help filter out dodgy emails, but you will also need to use common sense.

When it comes to opening unsolicited emails, a good rule of thumb is: if in doubt, don’t.