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By Anick Jesdanun
The Associated Press
N E W Y O R K, Feb.
8 � Some questionable Web sites that have appeared
since last week�s Alaska Airlines crash have prompted charity watchdog
groups to renew their warnings about the dangers of donating money over
the Internet.
Although most online operations are legitimate, the ease of
establishing Web sites raises the potential for
fraud.
�Disasters bring out the worst in a few
people and the best in most people,� said Dan Langan, a spokesman for the
National Charities Information Bureau. �You�ve got to give with your head
and not with your heart. No matter how you might feel that you have to do
something, you have to know exactly who you are giving to.�
Suspicious
Alaska Airlines Charity Sites
Alaska Airlines spokesman Jack
Evans said at least two sites that purportedly raised money for the
victims� families are suspect because one distributed a computer virus and
the other collected Social Security numbers. The sites shut down after the
airline threatened to sue, Evans said.
Flight
261 plunged into the Pacific off Southern California on Jan. 31, killing
all 88 people board. Two official funds have been set up for family
members.
�Unfortunately there are people who
prey on tragedy to make their living,� Evans said. �In the online world,
with a graphics program and a Web authoring tool, you can make Web sites
look pretty efficacious and legitimate.�
Donors can go online in many ways for many causes. Some sites, such as
iGive.com, operate virtual shopping malls that promise to donate a
percentage of online sales. Other sites, such as the American Red Cross,
permit direct donations online.
Donors Should
Ask Questions
Would-be donors should ask lots of questions
about how donations will be spent, said Bennett Weiner, a vice president
at the Council of Better Business Bureaus. Even if legitimate, some
charities might spend too much on overhead or
salaries.
Help is available online. Sites such
as guidestar.org offer the reports that many charities must file with the
government. 
Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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