FBI warns of Haitian quake relief scams

Beware of Internet scams seeking donations for Haitian earthquake relief, FBI officials warn.

The agency's advice:

• Do not reply to any unsolicited emails, including clicking links contained in those messages.
• Be skeptical of anyone claiming via email or social networking sites to be surviving victims or officials asking for donations.
• Verify the legitimacy of non-profit groups by independently checking the group's existence, rather than relying on a purported link to the group's site.
• Be cautious of emails claiming to show photos of the disaster area in attached files. The files may contain computer viruses. Only open attachments sent by people or groups you know.
• Make contributions directly to known organizations, rather than relying on others to relay your donation.
• Never give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions. Providing that information opens the door to identity theft.

Anyone who may have been victimized — or even received an email like those described above — may notify the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov