Be Vigilant about Disaster-Related Emails

In the wake of the horrible tragedies in Myanmar and China, millions of dollars worth of donations can be expected from generous people all over the world to help those desperately in need. Unfortunately, we can also count on unscrupulous criminals taking advantage of the situation to defraud individuals. Just like after the Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, we can expect phishing and spam to make the rounds very soon.

If you wish to make a donation, it is best to directly go to agencies' Web sites and find out if there are local organizations involved in the effort. If you are an aid-coordinating agency sending out pleas to your donors, identify the sender and recipient clearly and properly indicate any URLs in your email. Formulate the email like you would other organizational emails so that it doesn't get blocked as spam.

Here are some links to organizations involved in the relief efforts in Myanmar and China:

• The American Red Cross
• Save the Children
• UNICEF
• World Vision