Turkey : As people around the world rush to support charities and rescue teams working in Turkey and Syria after last week’s earthquake, residents say they are wary of scammers trying to exploit people’s generosity.
Promoting PayPal accounts as well as direct donations via bank transfer or live payments in social media apps, scammers broadcasting footage of relief efforts are calling for donations. Others call for donations in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, making tracing funding even more difficult.
Dubai-based security firm Cyble Research & Intelligence Labs discovered sites posing as legitimate and well-known charities and others saying they are raising money for Turkey and Syria. They encourage users to enter their details, wherein they may be contacted later asking for information, or directed to a PayPal site to make “donations”.
Cyble researchers say scams like this are not uncommon, but people can take action to protect themselves.
“We suggest assessing whether the organisation, non-profit, or group has a documented history of assisting those in need. Stay clear of unknown organisations and websites, as fraudulent individuals may create websites resembling donation pages in the aftermath of significant calamities. One needs to be cautious and verify the legitimacy of any donation opportunities and websites before providing information or donating.”
With more and more charity appeals appearing on social media, several GCC citizens and residents said it can be hard to tell genuine calls for help from those by sophisticated scammers.
Nada Yusuf, a Saudi citizen living in Jeddah, said: “I don’t think people think too much so they just click and pay, maybe they have been following this influencer or because of the large number of followers, people think it’s OK to give them money for relief which boggles my mind because what exactly are they doing sitting at home using their clout to get money for relief from followers?”
