Man arrested for tsunami e-mail scam

By Dan Ilett
Special to CNET News.com

A man has been released on bail after being charged with stealing donations for tsunami relief. Matthew Schmieder, 24, who is accused of sending e-mails purporting to be from a genuine aid organization, was arrested last week. He planned to use the money to repair his car, according to court documents.

In the e-mails, Schmieder allegedly requested that donations be sent to a PayPal account. The FBI was alerted after Mercy Corps. (the aid organization Schmieder is accused to have posed as) received complaints about the e-mails.

Dan Ilett of ZDNet UK reported from London.

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