Suffolk County Police Warn Of Internet Scams Related To Boston Bombings
YAPHANK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Local authorities are warning residents of online scams in the days following the deadly Boston Marathon bombings.
As 1010 WINS' Holli Haerr reported, after the Boston Marathon bombings, it didn't take long for scammers to come out of the woodwork – setting up fake Web sites, e-mails and even a fake Boston Marathon Twitter account.
Suffolk County Police Warn Of Internet Scams Related To Boston Bombings
The Suffolk County Police Department said Wednesday that Internet watch groups and security experts have identified "multiple" fake website domains and social media accounts that "claims to be associated with the Boston Marathon bombings."
Many of the accounts also claim to be raising money for victims and started appearing hours after Monday's attack, police said.
"A horrible thing – you have a tragedy like this and it'll bring some of the various individuals that will try to make a gain on it," said Suffolk County police Homeland Security Deputy Inspector Bill Silva.
Experts are also of the opinion that such false websites and social media account will increase in number over the coming days, Suffolk Police said.
Police have also issued the following tips and guidelines in regards to solicitation of donations for victims:
*Do not open unsolicited emails or click any links or attachments inside.
*Be cautious of all emails and websites that claim to provide information on an event, as they may contain viruses.
*Never send sensitive information over the Internet before confirming a website's legitimacy and security. Malicious websites may look identical to a legitimate website with a different URL (.com vs. .net).
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