• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, January 6, 2005

Government authorities are hoping to preempt the online charity fraud that has already begun in the wake of a Web-driven philanthropic outpouring for tsunami survivors.

The F.B.I. Wednesday posted a warning on its Web site, cautioning against unsolicited incoming e-mails from bogus relief organizations seeking personal information and cash donations.

About a dozen phishing schemes have already been reported to the bureau's Internet Crime Complaint Center, which termed the actions "egregious" and vowed to pursue the perpetrators. A spokesman for the bureau considered Wednesday's posting "preemptive," as the F.B.I. only expects fraud cases to keep rising.

Spontaneous Internet campaigns began appearing immediately after the disaster--but, experts say, such grassroots efforts should not be trusted. While hospitals, governments, and aid agencies must scrutinize their information, Web sites are available to everyone. Disclaimers about the accuracy of the information are seldom enough to protect people from negligence and fraud.

"Complaints submitted have identified several schemes that involve both unsolicited incoming e-mails ... as well as reports of responses to posted e-mail addresses to assist for a fee in locating loved ones who may have been a victim of the disaster," reads the F.B.I. post.

The FBI said it had also detected a fraudulent relief donation Web site which, when accessed, can infect a user's computer.

Gary Schneider, who publishes "Inspire Your World," a magazine and Web site concerned with volunteerism and philanthropy, estimated that $15 billion will eventually be raised for the relief effort, and over three percent of that will be lost to fraud.

Corporate support has been widely reported, as companies continue to contribute millions of dollars, and their legitimacy, to the tsunami relief effort. Both Apple.com and Amazon.com feature links to the American Red Cross. Microsoft pledged $3.5 million in disaster relief--$2 million in aid to relief groups and another $1.5 million it projects will result from matching employee donations, according to a company release. EBay allows sellers to donate 10 percent to 100 percent of their proceeds to UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, through eBay Giving Works, as well as other charities.

The market share of U.S. visits to humanitarian sites surged 180 percent during the week ending Jan. 1 compared to the week prior, reported Hitwise on Wednesday. Humanitarian sites peaked, said Hitwise, on Dec. 30, when visits accounted for nearly 1 percent of all daily Internet traffic.

Leading the drive, traffic to American Red Cross's site rose 1,285 percent week-over-week, and traffic to United Nations Children's Fund increased 2,034 percent.

The Federal Trade Commission is also urging consumers to be cautious of potential charity scams. The FTC's "FTC Charity Checklist," which lists precautions to ensure that donations go to legitimate charities, can be found at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/misc/charitycheck.htm