The world has been responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with an outpouring of support for Ukrainians. However, scammers are taking advantage of people’s desire to help. There’s no shortage of legitimate charities raising money online to help refugees. The best way to reach them is to type their URL directly into your browser or get a link from a trusted source.* It is important to know that your money is actually going where it is needed in order to help the people in Ukraine – not stolen by scammers.
Types of scams to be on the lookout for:
- Most recently, scammers are reaching out to people pretending to collect donations by cryptocurrency with fake accounts. Instead of using the official government of Ukraine’s wallet address, scammer’s are using their own, and the money is going directly to them.***
- Emails sporting a logo in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag. It asks for donations to a humanitarian organization in the form of US dollars and a handful of cryptocurrencies.
- Emails asking recipients to send money to help children or to buy weapons for the Ukrainian military.
- Nonlegitimate charity websites that solicit “aid” but don’t provide specifics as to how the money will be used.
- Romance-theme scams, where scammers pretend to be Ukrainian women who are refugees or seeking help in leaving the country.
- In addition to the pleas for help, scammers also pretended to be rich Ukrainian businessmen looking to move money out of the country.
As cyberattack worries continue to grow, there are several practices and tools you can use to protect yourself.
How to protect yourself against these scams:
- If donating money by using cryptocurrency, do an online search of the wallet address.
- Research the charity organization or individual requesting donations.
- Be resistant of any charity saying they need money sent right away.
- Ignore a plea for money if it comes from a stranger.
- Do not click on any solicitations that pop up on social media, as this a popular platform for scammers to exploit.
- Utilize browser privacy extensions^ to help defend against threats such as malware, viruses, and website trackers. Explore different browser extensions to help you stay safe.
- Update your operating systems** such as Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS and other apps. Learn how to update your devices.
- Invest in a VPN^^ to protect your home office privacy. Learn how to choose and set up a VPN.
*War in Ukraine Brings out Scammers Trying to Exploit Donations, Bree Fowler, CNET;
**As Worries Grow Around Russian Cyberattacks, Update your Operating Systems, Zachary McAuliffe, CNET;
***Donating With Crypto? Watch out for Scams, Rosario Mendez, Federal Trade Commission.