US-CERT has been notified about many phishing sites that attempt to trick users to make online donations for fake charity foundations in the aftermath of the south California Wildfire.
Just like hurricane Katrina was used as phishing bait, the cyber crooks are using and abusing the American empathy for the victims of California Wildfires. This is truly unspeakable.
Phishing emails may appear as requests from a charitable organization asking the users to click on a link that will then take them to a fraudulent site that appears to be a legitimate charity. The users are then asked to provide personal information that can further expose them to future compromises.
Users are encouraged to take the following measures to protect themselves from this type of phishing attack:
1. Do not follow unsolicited web links received in email messages.
2. Contact your financial institution immediately if you believe your account/and or financial information has been compromised.