Quake scam emails warning
Symantec is warning web users to beware of emails requestingdonations to help the victims of the weekend’s earthquake in Canterbury.
“Cyber-scammers are quick to prey on people’s emotions withbogus emails and phony websites devised to steal what should have beencharitable donations,” Symantec said in a statement. “Earlier this year,Symantec saw a massive outbreak of spam following the Haitian earthquake andexpects cybercriminals to leverage New Zealand’s quake for the same maliciouspurposes.
“Symantec Security experts urge computer users to followbest practices to help stay safe online, and ensure donations and support reachthe victims and not the scammers.”
Best Practices
When donating to a charity online, always remember:
Avoid clicking on suspicious links in email or IM messagesas these may be links to spoofed websites. Symantec security experts suggesttyping web addresses, such as those for a charitable organisation, directlyinto the browser rather than clicking on links within messages.
Never fill out formsin messages that ask for personal or financial information or passwords. Areputable charitable organisation is unlikely to ask for your personal detailsvia email. When in doubt, contact the organisation in question via anindependent, trusted mechanism, such as a verified telephone number, or a knowninternet address that you type into a new browser window (do not click or cutand paste from a link in the message).
Below is a list of legitimate links for sending donations:
A portal site has also been set up with links to central and local government agencies.
