The Better Business Bureau serving northern Colorado and Wyoming warns individuals to beware of e-mails claiming to seek donations for Hurricane Gustav relief efforts -- and for any other hurricanes that may wreck havoc in the United States in weeks ahead.
Consider the following precautions to avoid donating to a fraudulent organization or receiving a malicious computer virus:
- Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.
- Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as officials soliciting via e-mail for donations.
- Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
- Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
- To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, contribute directly to recognized organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
- Validate the legitimacy of the organization by directly accessing the recognized charity or aid organization's Web site rather than following an alleged link to the site. Also, you can check out a charity at the BBB’s charitable giving Web site www.wisegiving.com.
- Do not provide personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: Providing such information may compromise your identity and expose you to identity theft.
For more tips on charitable giving and wise consumer practices, visit www.wynco.bbb.org or call 970-484-1348 or 800-564-0371.