Don't donate money to individuals or organizations you don't trust 100%

Nov 11, 2013 12:05 GMT  ·  By

According to media reports, over 10,000 people may have lost their lives after Typhoon Haiyan hit Vietnam and the Philippines. As with all such disasters, scammers are trying to make a profit.

ThreatTrack Security’s Chris Boyd has published a useful advisory on how to avoid falling victim to Typhoon Haiyan-related scams.

In Canada, law enforcement authorities have already issued warnings about people who go door to door asking for donations. Police warn that the donation campaigns are unverified.

As always, if you want to donate for victims, make sure you only give money to trusted charities. Avoid making donations to people who walk up to your door, even if they appear to have proper identification documents. Experts warn that any form of ID can be easily forged.

A lot of people are missing after Typhoon Haiyan, so their friends and relatives have started posting their personal information on social media websites in hopes that someone has seen them. The Red Cross in the Philippines and security experts advise against such practices since the data published online can be valuable to crooks.

If one of your friends or family members have gone missing, send an email with their details to sos (at) redcross(dot)org(dot)ph. You can also use Google’s Person Finder, or Google’s relief and crisis map.

Scammers are also making calls and sending out spam emails in an effort to trick people into handing over money or personal information. The same advice applies. Don’t give out money or personal details in response to spam emails or cold calls.

For instance, if you want to donate to Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts with The Salvation Army, go to their official website.

To learn more about such scams, check out Chris Boyd’s RSA 2012 presentation in which he details the scams leveraging the Japan disaster: