Hurricane Harvey and the Online Scams That Follow

Article: Don't fall for Hurricane Harvey charity scams!
By: Graham Cluley
Date Published: 8/29/2017

       We can all agree that Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma really did a toll to the locations where they hit, causing many to be forced out of their homes or having to face the reality of losing almost everything. For those of us who were fortunate to not have been affected by these hurricanes, many are willing to help others in this extreme time of need. In the article “Don't Fall for Hurricane Harvey Charity Scams!” by Graham Cluley, he talks about when a natural disaster hits, not everyone is so willing to help. There are a number of individuals who create online scams to create money by having people donate to a fake charity or by trying to "spread malicious links and attachments in attempt to infect unsuspecting users' computers with malware" (Cluley). Due to these illegitimate sites, many individuals who are trying to help in a time of need end up with security breaches and leaked personal information.
       I did not find this article very surprising, but instead, I ended up disliking humanity a little more. I see a disaster as a time for a county or multiple countries to come together to help rebuild any damage done to the affected areas. The article stresses to the general public that when trying to help others after a disaster, they need to be careful of where they go online to donate; if they are not cautious and go to illegitimate sites, they may end up having a breach of their personal information. The only way I can see anything changing in the foreseeable future when it comes to issues like this is to have computer professionals educate the public on how to avoid malicious sites as well as having media outlets promote legit charity organizations.

https://www.welivesecurity.com/2017/08/29/hurricane-harvey-charity-scams/

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