Nixon files suit against fake hurricane relief sites

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in St. Louis County Circuit Court, states Frank Weltner, a self-proclaimed white separatist, operated at least 10 phony Web sites with hurricane donation themes. Weltner allegedly funneled donations to internetdonations.org – a site through which he collects money for his anti-Semitic hate speech site known as “Jew Watch.”

Weltner hosted a radio show in St. Louis from 1992 to January 2005 that had racist and anti-Semitic themes. He also is associated with the National Alliance, an active neo-Nazi hate group.

“Donors to the thousands of legitimate and worthwhile charities providing hurricane relief need to be reassured that their hard-earned dollars are going toward their intended purpose, and flim-flam artists working this tragedy for personal gain will not be tolerated,” Nixon said in a news release.

Nixon warns donors to be aware of other scam artists attempting to redirect funds for hurricane relief to their own pockets. His tips for charitable giving include:

• Be suspicious of an organization asking for on-the-spot donations.

• Avoid donating to organizations that refuse to provide verifiable background information.

• Don’t assume a charity is legitimate based on its name, as many scam artists will use names similar to respected organizations.

• Make donations with a credit card or check, not cash.