It’s understandable that people would want to help those affected by the recent hurricanes, but government officials say they need to be careful when they do.
The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency is warning people to be on the lookout for Hurricane-related scams that could come in the form of unsolicited emails, or even a knock at their door. In addition to targeting those who might want to help, scammers also might go after actual storm victims, CISA says.
Hurricane Fiona tore through Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic before landing on the shores of Canada as a tropical storm. Just days later, Hurricane Ian hit Florida and then South Carolina. Damages are expected to reach into the billions of dollars.
Cybersecurity experts say that big spikes in phishing emails and other scams almost always occur after headline-grabbing tragedies like these, as scammers look to take advantage of the public’s willingness to give quickly without asking questions.
The emails will often pretend to be from legitimate charities raising money to help…
