Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 13:44:57 -0400 To: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com> From: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com> Subject: Email groups warn of terrorism-related scams online Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 10:25:10 -0700 To: farber@cis.upenn.edu (Dave Farber), freematt@coil.com (Matthew Gaylor), Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>, State and Local Freedom of Information Issues <FOI-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>, calfoilist@uclink4.berkeley.edu From: Jim Warren <jwarren@well.com> Subject: Email groups warn of terrorism-related scams online
>http://www.cauce.org/pressreleases/20010912.shtml
>
>SAN FRANCISCO -- September 12, 2001 -- Email protection and consumer
>advocacy groups warned today of online attempts to fraudulently profit from
>yesterday's attacks on the USA. These attempts are taking the form of
>unsolicited e-mail ("spam") and postings in community forums, soliciting
>"donations" in the name of victims of the attacks.
>
>A typical message claims to be part of an "Express Relief Fund" or "Victims
>Survivor Fund". One message claims that donations will go to the Red Cross,
>but the donation link leads to a Web site unconnected with that
>organization.
>
>The Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email (CAUCE) and SpamCon
>Foundation offer these tips to help determine whether a request is valid:
>
>* If you don't know the organization or person who sent the request, it's
>probably fraudulent.
>
>* Virtually no bona-fide relief agencies request funds by sending email to
>people who are not already involved in that agency. Solicitations made in
>this way may also violate laws in the United States and Europe. (See
>http://law.spamcon.org.)
>
>* If you click on a link to donate, examine the URL shown in your browser.
>If the domain name of the URL is hidden, unfamiliar, or doesn't match the
>link's text, the request is probably fraudulent.
>
>* Verify the solicitor's identity through another medium (such as phone)
>before giving money. Spammers frequently forge the identity and style of
>well-known entities to gain credibility.
>
>"WTC spams" appeared within an hour of the World Trade Center disaster.
>Some, while not fraudulent, made light of the event. One spam promised, "No
>terrorists here! Join our porn site, turn off the TV, quit watching the crap
>happening in the states, and join our free site!"
>
>The Red Cross is a legitimate organization active in supporting victims of
>the tragedy and their families. To donate, visit their official Web site
>(http://www.redcross.org) or call 1-800-HELP-NOW. If you have trouble
>reaching the Red Cross directly, donations are also possible online through
>PayPal (http://www.paypal.com) and Amazon (http://www.amazon.com).
>
>About CAUCE
>
>CAUCE (Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email, http://www.cauce.org)
>is the world's largest Internet-based advocacy organization, with tens of
>thousands of members across the United States and supporters across the
>world. It supports and works toward passage of legislation prohibiting
>unsolicited e-mail advertisements. CAUCE has no budget, no office and is run
>by an all-volunteer board using donated resources.
>
>ABOUT SPAMCON FOUNDATION
>
>The donation-supported, nonprofit SpamCon Foundation
>(http://www.spamcon.org) protects email as a viable medium of communication
>and commerce. Contact: Executive Director Tom Geller, 415-552-2557,
>release-20010901@spamcon.org (bulk and vendor messages prohibited)
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