Out of Tragedy - Fraud

As we rally around the people of Haiti and think about what we can do to assist them in this time of dire need, it is important to make sure that our contributions are quickly distributed and spent in the areas most needed by those who are suffering in this disaster. Unfortunately, in this age of social networks and cell-phone donations it is also a time to be especially careful about how we offer our assistance.

There have already been several fraudulent emails and scams targeting users of email, Facebook, and SMS messaging. Not only to these schemes aim to steal the funds that so many are generously donating to Haiti, they are also stealing information about identities and gathering marketing data.

If you want to help the people of Haiti, be sure to take just a moment to investigate the person, organization, or method that you are using to contribute. A good resource to see where you can help is NPR’s website where they have posted a list of ways to help. Another good place to contribute is directly to the Red Cross. If you receive a solicitation for aid, you can check it out on Snopes.com, where you can perform a simple search to see if the plea is legitimate or not.

It’s times like these that we take our technology for granted, it’s important that we all do what we can, and that we see our aid is delivered quickly and honestly. After witnessing the tragedy in Haiti, it's important that we don't put ourselves at risk when we reach out to help.