The FBI has estimated that 60 of the 4,000 websites which claim to offer relief for Hurricane Katrina victims are bogus. Most are hosted over seas and are collecting money illegally. Some even pretend to be the Red Cross or associated with the Red Cross. Some sites have been shut down, but many are still operating. There are even phishers (sending emails which look offical, coming from an actual charity, that lead you to websites which also look official, but are actually collecting personal financial information and money for themselves and are not associated with real charities).
The best protection is to not click on links to go to charity websites — but to type the charity name into your web browser — such as www.redcross.org. If you want to help go directly to the Salvation Army, the Red Cross or your local government agencies and donate, that way you can be sure your donation is actually going to assist those who are in need.
