October 12th 2023
The conflict between Israel and Hamas is undoubtedly resulting in a humanitarian crisis on both sides as ordinary citizens suffer from injuries, a shortage of essential supplies and other hardships. We have yet to hear about any official charitable appeals being launched, but it is certain that unscrupulous cybercriminals will already be exploiting the situation, with online scams and malware related to various ‘appeals’ – taking advantage of people’s genuine good nature.
We are anticipating a flood of fraudulent emails, social media posts and websites pleading for donations for relief efforts or claiming to have ‘exclusive’ video of the disaster area. The Ukranian conflict, Pakistani floods, Nepalese earthquake and hurricanes Katrina and Rita have been just a few examples from many where this has been the case.
Safeguard yourself
- Do not click on links in unexpected / unsolicited emails, social media posts, instant messages, or texts. Instead, search authentic charities online, visit their websites and look for reviews.
- Before you donate, search for the charity on the Charity Commission’s Register of Charities.
- Ensure that appeal website addresses are spelled correctly and payment pages are secure (look for ‘https’ and a locked padlock in the address bar).
- Do not click on attachments in unexpected / unsolicited emails.
- If you get a phone call appealing for charitable donations for victims of the Israel/Hamas or other crises, regard it as fraudulent and put the phone down.
Reporting
- If you become the victim of a scam, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at actionfraud.police.uk
- Report suspicious emails to [email protected]
- Forward suspicious text messages to
For more information on donating to charities safely, visit Get Safe Online’s advice page.
