August 26th 2014
The latest 'nomination' craze to have gone viral is the Ice Bucket Challenge, in which participants have a bucket of freezing cold (preferably iced) water poured over their head before nominating two friends, colleagues or others they think will be game enough to take part. At Get Safe Online, we hate to pour cold water over a great idea, but we'd just like to remind you to check that the number you're texting is that of an authentic charity appeal, as we have been notified of scams perpetrated by fraudsters. Similarly, any social media pages with links to celebrity videos should be treated with caution.
Texting a code and donation amount to a number results in a donation to a specific charity … in the UK MND Scotland and Macmillan Cancer Support are just two who are benefiting to the tune of thousands of pounds. In the UK and worldwide, a number of celebrities have lent their support by taking part.
The photo here shows Alistair Darling, Labour MP for Edinburgh South West and leader of the 'Better Together' campaign, being doused in cold water in aid of MND Scotland on Sunday.
This exploitation of people's generosity and sense of good fun is very commonplace, so the Ice Bucket Challenge is no exception. So by all means get caught up in the craze (making sure the physical act of having ice-cold water doesn't put yourself or anyone else in any danger), but do check that who you're donating your hard-earned cash to is an authentic good cause.
