Prevention Works

Donate, but Be Careful

As rescue groups travel from all over the world to assist the Haitian people they need more than just physical help. Organizations like the Red Cross and World Health Organization are in dire need of financial support from people across the world. As terrible as it sounds, many people take advantage of disasters like this to make money themselves. Don’t be fooled when you are donating money; make sure your contributions are going to reputable organizations. These scams have been prevalent in past catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 Asian Tsunami.

Since the disaster occurred hundreds of new sites related to Haiti have been registered. A good portion of these sites will either link you directly to a reputable relief site or charity. Unfortunately, some sites will look like a charity site, but in reality will be bogus. Most will have a donate button (like most charity sites) except the money will never find its way to the relief fund often the creators capture your credit card information for later misuse. Relief scams may also include “phishing” emails, which are trying to capture your personal information, or emails from the “family and friends” of Haitian nationals trying to get money to help their families. Daniel Borochoff, President of the American Institute of Philanthropy said “Beware of people sending emails claiming to be individuals in need of help. It’s very easy to throw up a website that appears to be a legitimate charity even if it is not.”

Here are some tips to insure you don’t get scammed:

Only donate to well-known reputable charities – the American Institute of Philanthropy has a list of Haiti relief organizations, like the Red Cross.

Be cautious donating online – the ease of buying a website and making it look real quickly can give the impression of a real relief organization. Most non-profits use .org rather than .com so that is an easy indicator.

Never donate to individuals,only organizations

Do your research – if you are not familiar with an organization do your background research before giving away personal information

Give money rather than clothing, food, etc – giving money gives the organization the flexibility to use it for multiple types of aid.

If you find a site that looks fraudulent report it to the National Fraud Information CenterDon’t be afraid to give and help those who need it most, but be careful when doing so. You want to make sure that your donations get to the victims of this tragedy.

Be WARY of WORK AT HOME Scammers

With the downturn in the economy, increased unemployment, and people facing foreclosures on their homes, “Work at Home” scams are returning to the forefront.Letters in the mail or emails promise big pay for work that is done in the comfort of your own home.They direct you to call or visit sites to register to work.Once you’ve registered, the scammers have all of your personal details, such as your address, email, phone number, social security number, etc. Some sites require that you pay a fee to register with them, so instead of stealing your identity, they just steal your money.

Thandi Zulu was single, pregnant, and staying at a women's shelter in Houston, Texas, when she received a mysterious letter one day. A company told Zulu that she could make big money working at home in a data-entry job. No résumé or experience was needed. All she had to do was pay a $200 fee. Zulu called the company and gave them her checking account number. As soon as she did it, it occurred to her that she was being scammed.She tried to call the company back and never got an answer.

Before you give your information to anyone, do a cross check on the site or company.Try to contact them through a phone number.Check with the Better Business Bureau. Whenever you pay for something online, check that the site is secure. Google the company and see if there is information online.NCPC offers a wealth of information on protecting yourself from fraud.Click here to access the fraud info.

How Can You Make the New Year Safer?

As each new year rolls around, we are inclined to make a “new year’s resolution,” and decide that this is the year that we will actually stick with it. Resolutions normally consist of weight loss goals, exercising, eating healthier, or quitting bad habits such as smoking or drinking. While these resolutions are certainly important, why not make a second resolution, one that not only impacts you, but your family, work place and community? This year, do something different. Make a resolution not only with yourself, but with others to practice crime prevention and personal safety in your community.

Making a safety resolution is not only a great way to get yourself in the habit of practicing crime prevention, but also a way to make others aware of it as well. Whether you decide to practice safety at home, on the computer, or in your community, incorporating safety tips into your everyday routines will help to make crime prevention a regular part of your daily life.

So how will you decide to stick to your new year’s safety resolution? Here are a few ideas to get your started:

Home and Personal Safety

• Always be aware of your surroundings
• Always make sure all doors and windows are locked in your house and car
• Try to park in well-lighted areas with good visibility close to walkways, stores, and people
• Consider an alarm system, some alarms may be purchased for as little as $100

Cyber Safety

• Always keep your passwords private
• Avoid giving out your personal information
• Only order things online from websites you know and trust
• Avoid opening e-mails or visiting websites that don’t seem trustworthy, they could contain a virus that may harm your computer

Neighborhood Safety

• Start or join a neighborhood watch groupin your area
• Organize neighborhood clean-up days to pick up litter, paint over graffiti, plant flowers or repair broken equipment in playgrounds
• Always ensure walkway and streets are well-lit
• Get to know your neighbors-work together to keep your neighborhood safe

For more ideas on how to kick-off your safety resolutions for 2010, visit www.ncpc.org.