Haitian Earthquake Relief Fraud Alert

(More news)
Washington, D.C. – The FBI today reminds Internet
users who receive appeals to donate money in the aftermath of Tuesday's earthquake
in Haiti to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before responding to
those requests. Past tragedies and natural disasters have prompted individuals with
criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization
and/or a good cause.
 
 

Therefore, before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain
guidelines, to include the following:
 
 
    *  Do not respond to any unsolicited (SPAM) incoming emails, including clicking links
      contained within those messages.
    *  Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials
      asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
    *  Verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based
      resources that may assist in confirming the group's existence and its nonprofit
      status rather than following a purported link to the site.
    *  Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached
      files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from know senders.
    *  Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others
      to make the donation on your behalf to ensure contributions are received and used
      for intended purposes.
    *  Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions:
      Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable
      to identity theft.
      
 
Anyone who has received an e-mail referencing the above information or anyone who
may have been a victim of this or a similar incident should notify the IC3 via www.ic3.gov.
Press Contact
Keith Gosselin
Biddeford Savings Bank
kgosselin@biddefordsavings.com
207.571.5640