Fake sites collecting Uttarakhand flood relief fund

Cyber criminals are attempting to make most out of natural calamity that has struck Uttarakhand too!

Security company McAfee, on Wednesday, cautioned Internet users about many fake donation websites are emerging in cyberspace. They operate by means of emails as well as posts on social networking sites that request for donations towards fake relief funds, the security company said.

Unfortunately, cyber criminals often leverage such natural triggers by asking for financial help and lure innocent people to give out their financial details. As a result, well-intentioned individuals share their personal and financial details thinking this will help victims, but unfortunately fall pretty to such nefarious tactics of cyber criminals.
Not many people are aware that such links could be laden with malicious software, designed to steal passwords and personal information. Anyone who clicks on these sites or visits such a website could end up with a malware-ridden computer and loss of personal data.

McAfee recommends the below mentioned steps to be guarded and exercise caution against such occurrences-

- Do not open any suspicious websites on social networking sites from an untrustworthy source.

- Do not open any files attached to an email unless you know what it is, even if it appears to come from a friend or someone you know. Some viruses can replicate themselves and spread through email. Confirm that your contact really sent an attachment.

- Delete chain emails and junk email. Do not forward or reply to any to them. These types of email are considered spam - unsolicited, intrusive messages that clog up the inboxes and networks.

- Exercise caution when looking for a donation website. Ensure that the source is a legitimate and reputable one.

- Use safe web browsers and install a free software like McAfee Site Advisor that provides simple website safety ratings and a secure search box so you can surf, search and shop safely.

First published in CIOL