Whenever a disaster like Hurricane Katrina strikes and brings widespread anguish to so many Americans, their fellow citizens rush to help. Much of this aid comes in the form of money and most people funnel their contributions through legitimate charities. But many of the unsuspecting are caught in the webs of unscrupulous scam artists and their contributions go to waste.

According to ScamBusters.org, here are some of the most common scams that arise after a disaster:

• Phishing scams: In this scheme scamsters use fake Web sites that pretend to be legitimate relief organizations. If you click on the site and enter credit card or other financial information it will be used to steal your identity. Any contributions you make go into the pockets of the scammers
• Viruses and trojans: Spam is sent that includes photos of disaster areas or individual survivors, and these attachments contain computer viruses. These can enable hackers to take control of your computer and obtain information that they can use for identity theft
• Fee-based spams: These are unsolicited e-mails that offer, for a fee, to locate missing relatives and loved ones caught in the hurricane. Others include insurance scams, and government benefit fraud.

Here are some of the most important things you can or cannot do:

1. Do not give cash. Make out checks to the organization, not to the person soliciting the contribution.
2. Check out organizations with your local charity registration office. Or go to http://www.give.org/reports/index.asp and click on the Wise Giving Alliances reports on individual charities soliciting for Katrina relief. This will show what percentage of the funds each of these charities receives that normally goes to the actual cause.
3. Don't respond to e-mail requests. Legitimate charities do not use e-mail to solicit new contributors. ScamBusters says the chance that an e-mail request for a contribution is from a legitimate charity is near zero.
4. Don't feel pressured to give more than you feel comfortable with. Legitimate charities will accept and be grateful with whatever you choose to contribute.
5. Do not open attachments (including supposed pictures of disaster areas) -- they may well include viruses.

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For more information, contact your Southern University Ag Center parish agent or Dr. Bridget Udoh, Communications Specialist @ (225) 771 2262.

Sources: Scambusters: http://www.scambusters.org/hurricanekatrinascams.html
CNN: http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/01/pf/beware_disaster_scams/
Federal Trade Commission: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/phishingalrt.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/tmarkg/charity.htm