What bad online behavior should you be on the lookout for this week? Take note as you surf the Web in the coming days: cyber scammers are taking advantage of Hurricane Gustav - a storm that caused havoc in the U.S. and Caribbean - in order to prey on well-meaning consumers.

The SANS Internet Storm Center has noted a surge in new websites referring to Gustav; while some of the domains are legitimate and are linked to genuine charities, many are for sale or are connected to IP addresses known to host malware, according to a recent Internet Storm Center blog post.

Likewise, US-CERT has issued a warning about phishing attempts aimed at tricking users into believing they're donating money to legitimate charities in support of the storm's victims.

What do you need to know to avoid getting scammed? Be aware that online donation scams may come in various forms - spoofed websites, pop-up messages, unsolicited e-mail, or even posts in online forums. It's also a good idea to brush up on your knowledge of charitable contribution schemes. Take a look at our recent Lavasoft News article on the topic.