Commentary: Beware of E-mail phishing scams when making donations

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Nov 9, 2007 by Larry Fiorino

In the last month, wildfires in Southern California ravaged communities, charring more than 508,000 acres and destroying over 1,500 homes. The fires incited a state of emergency as thousands were forced to evacuate.

As a result, several organizations, including, the American Red Cross, have created funds for individuals to donate money for relief and recovery efforts.

The surge of donations has prompted Internet predators to create email "phishing" scams with hopes of taking advantage of altruistic citizens.

As the fires gained momentum, numerous fake e-mails were sent to recipients across the United States soliciting donations for wildfire victims.

In an attempt to authenticate the phony donation requests, the e- mails appeared to be sent from the Internal Revenue Service and included text from an actual speech by a California Assembly member. When the e-mail links were clicked, recipients were re-directed to a fake IRS Web site with a form to submit a donation.

Once on the "donation site," individuals were asked to submit personal and financial information including account numbers, passwords and security codes to make a donation. The information was then used in identity theft and financial fraud.

In response to this and other fake e-mail scams, the IRS has established an e-mail address, phishing@irs.gov, so citizens can report questionable messages and scams can be investigated.

Despite the scam alert mailbox, it is impossible to track every phishing e-mail, so it is crucial to be aware of key e-mail guidelines to protect your information.

It is important to know the IRS never sends out solicitations via e-mail. If you have questions or concerns, contact the IRS directly via the e-mail address or phone. Also, upon receiving questionable e- mails do not open suspicious links or attachments.

When disasters such as the California wildfires strike, donating money is a great way to help those affected but, before giving, confirm the legitimacy of an e-mail solicitation or donate directly to a trusted organization.

(Larry Fiorino, the founder and chief executive of G.1440, a Baltimore-based e-solutions firm, writes every week for The Daily Record. He can be reached at 410-843-3800 or at his company's Web site, www.G1440.com.)