Top 5 Haiti Scams

One thing that never fails to impress me about the human spirit is the out-pouring of support, assistance and over-all sympathy when tragedy strikes.  World wide, people come together and do or give whatever they can to help those in a time of crisis.  In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that has stuck Haiti, humanity has once again come together to show how generous and supportive we can be.  And as the internet makes the world smaller, this assistance can be delivered faster than ever before.

Of course the opposite side of humanity often comes to light as well.  There are those who plan, scheme and seek to take full advantage of the outpouring of generosity for their own gains.  With internet technology at their disposal these schemes can be rolled out quicker and take more from unsuspecting victims; people looking to help those in need.

So what are these schemes?  What should we look for, be wary of and most importantly, how do people keep themselves and ultimately those who need help from becoming the victims of these scams?

1. Fake charity or malware sites.

Scammers know those who want to help but might not know where to go are likely to go to Internet search engines for advice.  Fake charitable organizations are springing up online faster than dandelions in a spring meadow.  These scammers use a technique known as Search Engine Poisoning to get their sites to the top of the search engines quickly.  Although they may not stay there, the majority of search engine users tend to trust the top search results as being the most relevant and therefore legitimate organizations.  This gives the scammers precious time at the top of the ranks to dupe as many users as possible.

Our suggestion – always go the extra step to verify the organization you’re looking to donate to is legitimate.  Nothing saves time, money and aggravation better than doing your homework and gathering all of the information before taking action.  Stick to charitable organizations you know such as the Red Cross (www.redcross.org) or contact your local government for information on any grass-root efforts in your area.

Also, a quality security application such as Trend Micro Internet Security will actually provide you with information as to which search engine results have been verified as legitimate, scams or those that have not been verified yet.  Please see the graphic in the article for a demonstration of this feature.  This will give you a good first indication if the site is for real or just out to make a buck.

Or something worse.

2. Twitter tweets and traps.

Many see Twitter as a reliable source for breaking news and information, but just as many legitimate companies use Twitter for marketing purposes, scammers use it to market their fake charities as well.  Using Twitter accounts, target links are spread in an effort to make them look like official charities or news sites related to the Haiti crisis.  This is exacerbated with the use of TinyURL’s that can easily hide a shady link.

Again, be sure to verify the source and destinations of these links.  If in doubt, don’t send the money.  Seek out a reputable organization that you know and trust.

3. Spam and Phishing galore.

Spammers know due to the outpouring of concern over the happenings in Haiti, e-mail users are more likely to open messages with “Haiti” in the subject line.  Many of these are messages designed to appear as though they are sent by not-for-profit or charitable outreach programs. Others use “Haiti” subject lines as a disguise for the usual online pharmaceutical sales, dating-sites or links to other malware infested websites.

As you know, malware sites containing rogue anti-virus programs, Trojans and key loggers are set up to steal user information and potentially damage computer data.  These nefarious attempts at identity and financial theft can be even more dangerous and damaging than fake charities.

It is important to remember that unless you have supplied your email address and signed up to receive newsletters from charity organizations online, they will not send you solicitations for donations.

And as always, keep a reliable and updated security application on your PC and use common sense.  Do not open emails or click links on emails without verifying the source first.

4. Haitian money scam.

Like the infamous Nigerian Money Scam or 419 scam, e-mails from supposed Haiti Earthquake victims that paint a grim picture of life and suffering in Haiti, begging for assistance are becoming more prevalent.  These e-mails generally include a very convenient link to send donations as well.  In most cases the link directs the user to a malware site that will infect the user’s computer with Trojans or key loggers.

As in all cases, common sense and a good mail filtering security program is still your best defense.

5. So-“phish”-tication.

Phishing attempts are becoming more sophisticated.  We’re all pretty used to seeing the horribly written phishing and spam emails, wrought with misspellings and grammatical errors.  New phishing attempts detected are sophisticated emails impersonating reputable charities such as the Red Cross.  These lengthy emails include data and statistics that compel the reader to donate immediately to help the victims of Haiti and other disasters.  However, the spoofed links in the email lead back to fake donation sites of profiteers or malware sites aiming to steal identity and personal information.

All the same suggestions apply here – charities such as the Red Cross will not send e-mails asking for donations unless you’re already on an e-mail list with them.  Keep your security software updated and avoid clicking links in unsolicited e-mails.

When in doubt Aspire Technology Solutions has security experts on staff that can answer your questions and even check on the legitimacy of e-mails and websites.  We also carry a wide range of security products for businesses and home PC’s that can be purchased on-line and downloaded for immediate use.

We are all concerned for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, but our assistance needs to be directed to the organizations that can provide help to those that need it.

Top 5 Myths about Search Engine Optimization

As a web designer for Aspire Technology Solutions, I have a lot of great conversations with clients and other web designers about Search Engine Optimization. Search Engine Optimization (Also known as simply SEO) is the process of preparing and promoting a website on the web so that it appears higher in search engine results.
As I am explaining to customers what they can expect from basic SEO work, I find myself going head to head with some surprisingly common myths about Search Engine Optimization.
Today I sat down and whimsically put together a list of the Top 5 Myths about Search Engine Optimization for your reading enjoyment.

1. All it takes are a few keywords.
Keywords are of course the foundation of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) but on their own, they do little to nothing when it comes to improving the placement of a website in search engine results. Think about it, there are millions of websites out there, all competing with similar or exact same keywords and many websites use keyword stuffing (Placing hundreds if not more keywords within their website code that have nothing to do with the content of the website) and so most search engines now pay little attention to keywords on their own and instead focus on other more accurate criteria.

2. There is a secret way to get your website to the top of search engine results.
Strangely enough, I hear this rather often. I always want to say, “If it were possible, everyone would be doing it.” There is no magic easy button that will shoot your website to the top of all search engine results. Some SEO companies will advertise that they have this ability and charge top dollar for their services which may involve keyword stuffing, link spamming, and other unscrupulous SEO techniques that are likely to cause your website to be black listed and removed from most search engine results altogether. Simply put, no. Improving website visibility is a marathon, not a sprint.

3. Search engine optimization is a one time job.
Proper SEO work is an ongoing project. Requirements for good standing in search engine results change more frequently than most realize. Building links and promoting a website is quite similar to social networking and handing out your business card. You can’t hand out 20 cards at one time and expect those cards to circulate your business to all potential clients; you have to keep working at it. The same goes for SEO.

4. A website will instantly increase a business’ visibility and profit.
Just as building website visibility in search engine results is an ongoing project, so is utilizing your website to increase your business’ profit and availability to a larger demographic. As soon as your website has been created and properly represents your business online, it is important to make it known to those around you that it exists. Your website address should be on business cards, brochures, advertisements, email signatures, social networking sites, and any other place you plan on having visible to many people at once. This, coupled with quality SEO is essential to employing your website as a way to drive customers to your business.

5. Paid web advertisements are the only way to increase a website’s visibility.
It’s true that paid advertisements can be a great way to drive traffic to your website. Google is a great example of a search engine that not only accepts paid advertisements, but also applies keywords (of your selection) to your advertisement so it appears in search results that are relevant to what your website is about. Planning online advertising into your budget is a great idea as your options are many and flexible.

In conclusion, Search Engine Optimization is an extensive and ongoing project that, when done right, reaps many benefits from improved visibility to a customer’s trust in your business and many things in between. It’s important for every website owner to have patience and be willing to pitch in a bit of their own time to promoting their website whether it be through email signatures and Twitter updates or making sure that the website address is always visible on business cards. Stick to your guns and it will happen!