IRS warns of disaster relief scams.

• Position: National

The IRS issued a consumer alert about possible scams in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters.

The IRS cautions that fraudulent solicitations could come through the telephone, Internet, e-mail or in-person. Individuals wishing to make disaster-related charitable donations should only donate to reputable charities.

Taxpayers suspecting disaster-related frauds can:

* Report the fraudulent use of the IRS name to the treasury inspector general for tax administration

* Report fraudulent charity Web sites to the...