Regrettably during these times of disaster, there are always those who will seek to fraud the public.
The latest scam is an email that appears to be sent directly from the Red Cross requesting donations for the victims of hurricane Katrina.
The site appears very authentic, including the "secure" symbol at the right corner of the page.
However, the origin of the site has been traced to Brazil.
The Red Cross has stated that it never directly solicits funds from donors and that it would never directly send emails to anyone requesting assistance.
Should you receive such an email, please DO NOT respond.
Marsha L. Hassell
Congressional and Public Affairs
SPAWAR SYSTEMS CENTER, Charleston