Fraudsters exploit Japan appeal

The British Red Cross has warned that fraudsters are hoodwinking donors by sending fake emails carrying its branding that claim to be raising money for disaster relief in Japan.
The organisation said several emails purporting to be from the Red Cross have been intended to trick people into making donations to its Japan Tsunami Appeal, which are instead going to a fake account.
Two of the variations ask people to donate cash through the money transfer company Western Union.
A Red Cross spokesman said a more sophisticated fake email was directing people to a Moneybookers account, which is completely unrelated to the Japan appeal.
Mark Astarita, director of fundraising at the Red Cross, said: “The British Red Cross condemns this attempted abuse of people’s goodwill. It beggars belief that anyone would try to profit from human suffering and deliberately take money away from those in need.”
The fake account has been closed down, but the charity has warned people to be vigilant for future scams.The charity advises people to donate through its official website or its phone number.
“We would urge anyone who wants to donate to the Red Cross to do so directly via our website, rather than clicking on links or responding to these kinds of email,” said Astarita.
The charity is working closely with the police to identify the fraudsters behind the emails and to prevent further scams from being launched.