N.C. AG Warns of Scams in Wake of Tsunamis

As North Carolina citizens give time and money in support of tsunami disaster relief efforts, Attorney General Roy Cooper has asked them to be on the look out for potential scams pretending to be charities.

“It’s important that our contributions count. Scam artists who take advantage of people in these situations are creative and resourceful, and we need to be on watch to be sure they don’t surface in North Carolina,” Cooper said.

Cooper warned that con artists try to steal money in many different ways ranging from telemarketing scams to door-to-door sales pitches. He warned that residents should always contact the charity themselves rather than answering questionable emails or unsolicited phone calls.

Cooper’s office has gotten no reports yet of scam artists taking people’s money in state. However there are email “phishing” scams claiming to be from the aid group Oxfam making the rounds on the Internet. And reports of relief scams are reportedly springing up around the nation.