With over 4,000 websites advertising relief services for victims of Hurricane Katrina, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned that many of them could be fakes. According the Bureau about 60 percent of the charity sites originate from outside the States—an apparent sign of their questioned legitimacy.

People who want to donate money to the relief effort should be cautious to avoid fraudulent charities, including those who are sending out emails claiming to be groups such as the Red Cross.

To battle the bogus websites the Red Cross has hired a security company to scan the internet for phishing scams designed to trick people into giving their credit card numbers and personal details to fake Red Cross sites.

To donate the Katrina relief effort, or any other charity, always be sure to type the web address directly into your browser rather than following links.