February 9th 2023
As the death toll following Monday’s massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria tragically climbs by thousands every day, the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has today launched an appeal to help those affected. UK aid agencies including the British Red Cross, Oxfam and ActionAid are joining forces to raise money and distribute aid where it is most needed.
However, unscrupulous cybercriminals will already be exploiting the situation, with online scams and malware related to the appeal – taking advantage of people’s genuine good nature.
We are anticipating a flood of fraudulent emails, social media posts and websites pleading for donations for relief efforts or claiming to have ‘exclusive’ video of the disaster area. The Nepalese earthquake, Pakistan floods and hurricanes Katrina and Rita were just three examples from many where this has been the case, as has, more recently, the war in Ukraine.
How you can help, with secure donations
You can help people affected by the crisis by donating and helping to raise money for the DEC appeal.
- £10 could provide blankets to keep two people warm
- £30 could provide blankets for six people
- £25 could provide emergency food for a family for ten days
- £50 could provide emergency shelter for two families
Visit the official DEC Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal page at https://donation.dec.org.uk/turkey-syria-earthquake-appeal Make sure you type or paste in this address to ensure you are on the correct, official site, as fraudsters have elaborate ways to deceive victims into visiting their fraudulent sites.
For more information on donating to charities safely, visit Get Safe Online’s advice page.
