After a natural disaster phishing emails and websites requesting donations for bogus charitable organizations begin to appear. Users should be aware of potential email scams and phishing attacks regarding the recent Philippines Typhoon disaster. Email scams may contain links or attachments which may direct users to phishing or malware-laden websites.
US-CERT encourages users to take the following measures to protect themselves:
- Do not follow unsolicited web links or attachments in email messages
- Maintain up-to-date antivirus software
- Review the Recognizing Fake Antivirus document for additional information on recognizing fake antivirus.
- Refer to the Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks document for additional information on social engineering attacks.
- Refer to the Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams (pdf) document for additional information on avoiding email scams.
- Review the Federal Trade Commission’s Charity Checklist.
- Verify the legitimacy of the email by contacting the organization directly through a trusted contact number. Trusted contact information can be found on the Better Business Bureau’s National Charity Report Index.
US-CERT will provide additional information as it becomes available.
This product is provided subject to this Notification and this Privacy & Use policy.