Hurricane Melissa Relief Scams: How Criminals Exploit Disaster

Description

In the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa's devastating impact on Jamaica in October 2025, cybercriminals swiftly exploited the crisis through various online scams. These included phishing campaigns, fake charity drives, and fraudulent financial-relief websites impersonating legitimate aid organizations. The scams targeted people's compassion and urgency, often launching within hours of the disaster. A notable example was a cryptocurrency donation site with multiple tiers, using static images and fake transaction data to appear legitimate. Multiple fraudulent domains were detected, many soliciting cryptocurrency donations. These scams not only defraud individuals but also erode public trust in digital charity infrastructure, highlighting the need for awareness, verification, and collaboration between cybersecurity firms, governments, and relief organizations to combat such threats.