Disaster Scammers
Posted by Darren Enta on Mon, Mar 21, 2011
I watched the recent disaster in Japan unfold with a more vested interest than some of the previous ecological tragedy's that have occurred in my lifetime. My father is Japanese, and by extension I 
and the rest of my father’s family are Japanese. I was also in the unfortunate position of having two friends who happened to be taking a vacation in Japan at the time of the tsunami. As the hours of coverage played out, the images of entire farmlands being washed away by what appeared to be an unstoppable wave of murky water and debris were displayed everywhere. Shots of the streets of Tokyo showed people looking scared and confused, and if it wasn't for the gravity of the situation it could have been mistaken for footage from an updated Godzilla movie in the works. I had never been personally affected by a disaster such as this. On 9/11 I can recall calling the one person who I happened to know whose father worked on the 15th floor of the World Trade Center, only to quickly be put at ease as I was told he had been out of the country. I recall having a colleague in the past who was concerned over his family and his extended family in Sri Lanka when they suffered from a tsunami years ago. So when a current colleague told me that Google was attempting to alleviate some of the anxiety associated with these disasters, I was intrigued.
Google was able to identify that tangible assistance could be provided to the world of anxious family and friends of those affected by this disaster. Google Person Finder launched with the intent of alleviating a main point of stress during these catastrophes, which can be the uncertainty of the wellbeing of family and friends. People all over the world were able to access the Google Person Finder and simply enter in the name of the person they were looking for. If that person had been heard from by someone, either person could post a notice that would document that contact and the status of the person. If other friends and family were concerned they were able to have a centralized database that would document the status of that person. Obviously there was potential for fraudulent claims but the intent of the service definitely appeared altruistic, and the hopes were that in the face of such hardships that people would participate in the program with only the best intentions.
Unfortunately not everyone got this memo. As it has been seen in the past with most large scale disasters there are people who are willing to capitalize on the goodwill of many by looking for ways to re-route donations into their own pock
ets. So if you are like the many other people in the world that would like to make a donation that will go to the cause that you intended to donate to, you should read the article that was posted on MSNBC’s website by Matt Liebowitz. It is an excellent list of things to watch out for such as falsely registered domains, re-directions to a third party website asking for credit card information and the emotional appeal that compels people to discard caution. While it is reprehensible for those to profit from the goodwill of others we are all obligated to do our part. It is imperative to exercise vigilance when donating to a charity to ensure that if you do intend to make a donation that it end up where it will be able to help and not in the bank accounts of one of these dishonest individuals. Some other accounts of the “scams” employed were addressed by a Symantec researcher in this article.
Social Media such as Twitter allows users to post instantaneous information on the situation from ground level during ecological disasters and even political ones, such as the extensive first hand accounts that came from the protests in Egypt. With global companies such as Google offering innovative solutions people are finding new ways to communicate when challenges present themselves. Social Media is starting to be seen as not only a way to watch a Youtube clip or comment on someone's take on Charlie Sheen's most recent catchphrase. What unfolded in Egypt allowed Social Media to be one of the strongest voices documenting the tragedies, the tales of heroics, and the information that may have taken away stress from family and friends on the other side of the world. Google should be commended for attempting to take away any of the uncertainty that is inherent in these matters and we all have to do our due diligence when offering our support through funds. To make sure that the people who will put that money to good use receive it, as opposed to those that think they need a new Ipad2.