Information Bulletin
11 January 2005
Warning: Look After Your Money - Beware of Charity Scams
The Council is urging people to beware of scams taking advantage of the public's generosity following the tsunami disaster in Asia.
There are reports around the country of attempts to play on the sympathy of people and trick them into handing over bank account details - or money - on the pretext of it being used to help the tsunami victims.
Several scams have now been identified, including unsolicited e-mails (spam) offering to locate loved ones, requesting money be deposited in overseas banks to support the tsunami relief effort, and seeking personal or financial information in an effort to retrieve large amounts of inheritance funds tied up in relation to the tsunami disaster.
Other criminal activity coming to light includes using the disaster as a front for spreading computer viruses. False websites have also been created, purporting to be managed by legitimate relief organisations asking for donations. One of these sites contains an embedded object that can infect computers with a virus if accessed.
David Marsh, Trading Standards Service Manager , said:
"It is despicable that there are people prepared to profit from the suffering of others and take advantage of the charity of the public in this way.
We urge people to beware of such cons and donate only to registered charities, which they know will actually pass on the proceeds to those in such dire need.
If anyone suspects that a request for donations is not genuine they should report it to Trading Standards or the police. Under no circumstances should you give your bank details to someone you cannot fully trust.
Whilst we do not in any way wish to dissuade members of the public from donating money to the registered charity Tsunami appeals we urge them to exercise vigilance in order to prevent and disrupt these and other possible criminal scams."
Following these tips will help people to avoid being caught out.
• Do not respond to any unsolicited incoming e-mails (spam).
• Do not respond to mobile telephone text messages from unknown sources.
• Be sceptical of individuals claiming to be surviving victims, or foreign government officials, asking you to place large sums of money in overseas bank accounts.
• Ensure that contributions to non-profit organisations are used for intended purposes. Contribute only to known charities and recognised outlets collecting on behalf of these charities.
• Go directly to the websites of recognised charities and aid organisations, rather than following a link from another site.
• Try to verify the legitimacy of non-profit organisations (for example, you can use Internet-based resources to help confirm the existence of the organisation and its non-profit status). Genuine charities are all registered with the Charities Commission (in England and Wales) or the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) . For further details please visit their websites at www.charity-commission.gov.uk and www.oscr.org.uk
• Be wary of e-mails that claim to show pictures of disaster areas in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
• If you are aware of any suspicious activity, forward the details to the National Criminal Intelligence Service at tsunamifraud@ncis.x.gsi.gov.uk
You can find more information about scams, and how to avoid being caught out, on the Council's website at www.shetland.gov.uk/tradingstandards
Alternatively Information and advice is also available from Trading Standards at the Council's Grantfield offices , or by phone on Lerwick 7448 00 .
ENDS
Notes for Editors
Suffolk Trading Standards professionals have received a report of an e-mail claiming to be from a man who had lost both his parents in the disaster.
The man, calling himself Marco Nula, claims his parents lived in the Banda Aceh province of Indonesia, one of the regions worst hit by the tsunami.
He says both parents were of Dutch heritage and, as a result of colonial times, had a large amount of money in a Dutch bank.
The e-mail then asks for the recipient's personal details and address and asks if they will help recover the money in exchange for a percentage of it.
The Trading Standards Institute (which has donated £500 to the Disasters Emergency Committee to help the tsunami victims) advises anyone wishing to donate to the aid effort to contribute through the official website at www.dec.org.uk or by phoning the helpline on 0870 60 60 900. Anyone wishing to donate clothing is advised to take it directly to a charity shop.
David Marsh, Shetland Islands Council's Trading Standards Service Manager, is available for interview if required - please contact trading.standards@sic.shetland.gov.uk or call 01595 744800.