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<p>August 28, 2017</p>
<h1>Tips to Avoid Being Scammed in Donating to Hurricane Harvey victims</h1>
 
            
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    		<p class="FORMAT-BODY">WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. &#8212; The many pictures and news reports of massive destruction and loss of life and property from Hurricane Harvey is triggering an urge for people to help. But it&#8217;s important that donors know where their money is actually going, says a Purdue University cybersecurity expert.</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">&#8220;We&#8217;ve seen it time and again, and con artists and scammers are continually coming up with advanced methods to take people&#8217;s money through contributions - often online,&#8221; says Eugene H. Spafford, a computer science professor and director emeritus of CERIAS - Purdue&#8217;s Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security.</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">Researchers at CERIAS know that criminals will take advantage of the most tragic of circumstances, counting on people&#8217;s sense of urgency to &#8220;do something&#8221; to overcome their normal caution, Spafford says.</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">&#8220;Be alert to fraudulent but sincere-sounding appeals for aid from hurricane victims or from what appear to be charities,&#8221; he says. &#8220;These solicitations may be sent as email to you or a group to which you belong, as postings or messages on a social newsgroup such as Facebook or Twitter, as a phone call from someone soliciting donations, or as a website to which you are directed or that pops up when visiting a site.&#8221;</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">Some of these fraudulent appeals will sound convincing, and the associated websites will appear official and legitimate.</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">Here are some tips from CERIAS on how to avoid being scammed, now and at other times:</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">Do not enter any information at a Web page that pops up unexpectedly when you visit some other site.</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">Never click on a website address in email sent to you; it may look official, but most will be pointers to fraud or attack sites.</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">Don&#8217;t assume that every Web address returned by a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing) is a legitimate organization.</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">Do not respond to emails requesting donations or making a special offer (such as asking you to hold their assets).</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">Do not reveal any personal or financial information during a phone call you did not dial yourself.</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">If a friend forwards a URL, phone number or email, don&#8217;t trust it until you check its validity. Your friend may have been scammed first.</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">Spafford recommends the American Red Cross, available online at&#160;<a href="http://www.redcross.org/">http://www.redcross.org</a>, as a reliable charity for domestic disaster relief.</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">CERIAS is the nation&#8217;s premier interdisciplinary academic center for research and education.</p>
<p class="FORMAT-BODY">For more information, contact Spafford at 765-494-7825, or visit the CERIAS website at&#160;<a href="http://www.cerias.purdue.edu/">http://www.cerias.purdue.edu/</a>&#160;</p>
<p class="FORMAT-WRITER"><strong>Writer:</strong>&#160;Jim Bush, 765-494-2077,&#160;<a href="mailto:jsbush@purdue.edu">jsbush@purdue.edu</a>&#160;</p>
<p class="FORMAT-WRITER"><strong>Source:</strong>&#160;Eugene Spafford, 765-494-7825,&#160;<a href="mailto:spaf@purdue.edu">spaf@purdue.edu</a></p>


						
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