A quoted article, verbatim, about the Red Cross & fraud

[Guest guest]

American Red Cross National Headquarters

Statement on Internet Fraud

The American National Red Cross is aware that false Red Cross Websites and

e-mail campaigns directing donations to sites other than those authorized by

the American Red Cross have begun to appear. We have also learned of a number

of Websites soliciting donations, allegedly on our behalf.

In order to ensure that all donations appropriately make their way to our

organization, are properly acknowledged for tax purposes, and to express our

deepest thanks for the generosity of the American public, we have established

formal agreements with sites collecting donations. These agreements offer the

donating public the assurance that those collecting funds on our behalf will be

held to the high standards of stewardship the public expects from the American

Red Cross.

For those who are using the American Red Cross name and emblem without our

written permission, Federal statutes prohibit the use of the name and emblem of

the Red Cross by commercial concerns and unauthorized solicitations.

Section 706 of Title 18 of the United States Code contains the following

provisions:

" Whoever wears or displays the sign of the Red Cross or any insignia colored in

imitation thereof for the fraudulent purpose of inducing the belief that he is

a member of or an agent for the American National Red Cross; or " Shall be

fined...or imprisoned. " (18 United States Code, Section 706).

Also, from Section 917 of Title 18 of the United States Code:

" Whoever, within the United States, falsely or fraudulently holds himself out

as or represents or pretends himself to be a member of or an agent for the

American National Red Cross for the purpose of soliciting, collecting, or

receiving money or material, shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned

not more than one year, or both. " (18 United States Code, Section 917).

The American Red Cross will work with authorities to prosecute offenders to the

full extent of the law.

The main American Red Cross Website is http://www.redcross.org. The online

donation system Web addresses are http://store.yahoo.com/redcross-wtc/ and

https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp

Our five current online donation partners are:

* Amazon.com

* AOL Time Warner

* PayPal.com (added 9/14/2001)

* Wells Fargo Bank (added 9/14/2001)

* Yahoo! Inc.

Hundreds of additional corporate supporters have linkage agreements with the

American Red Cross.

[[ the official Red Cross site is at http://www.redcross.org/ and there's an

alternative site that they are partnered with called

http://www.disasterrelief.org/ that has lots of the most vaulable information

and articles duplicated. ]]