In the wake of the terrorist attack against Charlie Hebdo in Paris last month, the FBI would like to warn the public about the potential for fraudulent solicitations of donations for victims. These solicitations come in many forms, such as crowdfunding platforms, e-mail campaigns, or cold calls, and perpetrators may divert some or all of the funds for their own use.
A number of charities and crowdfunding campaigns have already begun soliciting donations. At the time of this advisory, the FBI has not recorded any reports of fraudulent donation schemes relating to the Charlie Hebdo attack. But based on previous trends, the Bureau can reasonably assume that such schemes may target individuals in the United States.