Be Wary Of Hurricane Relief Scammers: Rhode Island US Attorney

Rhode Island's U.S. Attorney is warning residents to be vigilant when donating to hurricane relief funds. On Friday, Aaron L. Weisman said that major natural disasters frequently breed scammers.

"We have all seen the heartbreaking pictures and heard the heart wrenching details of the devastation hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing in the wake of Hurricane Dorian," Weisman said in a statement. "Sadly, there are always heartless, greedy individuals waiting to pounce on the kindness of others and victimize them."

Rhode Islanders should be wary of any email with a hurricane-related subject line, attachment or link, he continued, as these link frequently lead to malicious websites. Social media posts, texts and door-to-door solicitations are other ways scammers target well-meaning people, Weisman said.

Weisman's office encourages those looking to donate to disaster relief to check out the following resources before giving any money.

• Staying Alert to Disaster-related Scams

• Before Giving to a Charity

• Staying Safe on Social Networking Sites

• Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks