The FBI and a U.S. Attorney in Connecticut allege that a 37-year-old New York woman, Nouel Alba, used her Facebook account to set up a scam in which she posed as an aunt of one of the 20 children who died in the recent Newton, Connecticut, shooting.

Alba used her Facebook profile to solicit donations on PayPal for a “funeral fund,” as well as via phone conversations and text messages with potential donors. Alba claimed to be the aunt of six-year-old Noah Pozner, a victim in the shooting. She even claimed to have entered Sandy Hook Elementary School to identify her supposed nephew for police and to have met President Obama during his visit to Newtown.

“This arrest should serve as a warning to anyone who attempts to profit from this tragedy by contriving fraudulent schemes that exploit the many victims, their families and individuals who sincerely want to help,” said U.S. Attorney Fein.  “Investigators continue to monitor the Internet to uncover other fundraising scams arising from this tragedy, and the individuals operating them face federal or state prosecution to the fullest extent permitted by law.”

The case has obviously rattled and disgusted many people around the country, and it goes to show the importance of a healthy skepticism regarding individuals seeking money online. If convicted, Alba could face five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

If you would like to donate to the victim’s families and the community affected by the shooting, then our friends at The Bulldog Estate created this list of agencies:

Newtown Youth and Family Services
Is a nonprofit mental health clinic that pledges to help with grief counseling. All donations made at this time will go to helping those impacted.
15 Berkshire Road, Sandy Hook, CT 06482
Call (203) 426-8103 for more details on how to donate

Newtown Parent Connection
This group has pledged to try and bring in extra counselors to help parents cope and is also accepting donations on its website. All donations will be given directly to those affected by the shooting
www.newtownparentconnection.org
Or you may call (203) 270-1600

United Way of Western Connecticut
The United Way has opened an official fund for victims’ families, and the community as a whole.
Check donations may be mailed to:
Sandy Hook School Support Fund,
c/o Newtown Savings Bank,
39 Main St., Newtown CT 06470

OR you can make your donation online at:
https://newtown.uwwesternct.org/

How You Can Help: Memorial Donations For Sandy Hook Victims
http://newtown.patch.com/articles/how-you-can-help-memorial-donations-for-sandy-hook-victims-58a9fe92

Recommended Resources

DoNotTrackMe protects your privacy by blocking online tracking. Abine – Online Privacy Starts Here.

BitDefender Safego is a Facebook application you can install that will scan your News Feed and help keep you safe from scams on Facebook.

PRIVATE WiFi® is a Personal VPN that encrypts everything you send and receive. Don’t access Facebook from a public WiFi hotspot without it.

Action Alert | Free Parental Control offers a 100% free Internet safety solution designed for parents. There is also a Maximum Protection option for parents that need a more advanced set of tools.