Fraud Center

Bogus Charitable Solicitations

The FBI has issued a warning that individuals may be using the Boston Marathon bombing to generate fraud. They are using emails and social networking sites to gain access to computers through malicious software.

A spam email with the subject line “Boston Marathon Explosion” attempts to lure the victim to a bogus website or into taking other actions  (such as downloading software to view pictures, videos or files) that put their computer at risk.  The perpetrators may also try to solicit donations.

Protecting yourself from bogus online solicitations:
• Do not agree to download software to view content as it may infect  your computer with malware.
• Do not follow a link received via email to go to such as website. The link may appear legitimate but can be hyper-linked to direct you elsewhere.
• Visit official websites to verify the existence and legitimacy of any charitable organization that is soliciting your donation, and do not allow others to make donations on your behalf.  Your personal information can be routed to a fraudster.
• Legitimate charities normally do not solicit donations via money transfers.  Be as secure as possible in making your donation. Use a debit/credit card or write a check made out to the specific charity.

As always, contact your financial institution immediately if you believe that your information has been compromised.