There's a Scumbag Born Every Minute

I received the following warning from my employer via email today...

There have been several reports of fraudulent Hurricane Katrina websites and emails in the past few days. These websites and emails claim to be part of the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts. Some of these emails and websites contain viruses, and others are phishing attempts to trick users into disclosing personal information.

In response to these fraudulent websites and emails, IT&S Information Security will send an email to all Outlook users later today, alerting them to the risk of these scams.

As if it weren't bad enough to have deranged psychos shooting at rescue workers in the disaster area, there are some greedy pieces of dirt out there trying to take advantage of the carnage by diverting the money you intend to donate for hurricane relief into their own grubby little pockets. It shames me to have to acknowledge such people as members of the same species as me.

That being said, avoid responding to emails soliciting donations for hurricane relief. Go directly to the website of an organization known to do disaster relief (like the Red Cross) or donate through a local church or other charitable organization with good credentials.