To report suspected fraud, call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at 1-86. Crowd-funding websites often host individual requests for help but they are not always vetted by the site or other sources. Double-check any solicitation for charitable donations before you give. Verify information in social media posts.Scammers regularly use email for phishing attacks and to spread malware. If you receive a suspicious email requesting donations or other assistance, do not click on any links or open any attachments. If you're using text-to-donate, check with the charity to ensure the number is legitimate before donating. If you need to contact a charity by phone, check the charity's official website to see if the number you have is legitimate. Verify all phone numbers for charities.You can also check with the National Association of State Charity Officials whether charities must be registered in your state and if the charity contacting you is on file with your state. If you have doubts, you can check with Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or GuideStar. Always verify a charity's legitimacy through its official website. Beware of scammers who create fake charities during natural disasters. Donate to trusted, well-known charities.There are several steps you can take to protect yourself from this type of fraud: Disaster Relief Charity ScamsĬonsumers should also be aware of scammers posing as representatives of charities seeking donations for disaster relief. Many states have online databases you can check. If your state requires licensing, verify that any contractor you are considering is licensed and carries adequate insurance. Never give policy numbers, coverage details, or other personal information out to companies with whom you have not entered into a contract. Policyholders with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP Direct) can call 1-80.Ĭontractors and home improvement companies may also call claiming to be partners with your insurance provider. If the caller says they're from your insurance company, hang up and contact your agent or the company directly using the number on your account statement. If you get a phone call about an insurance claim or policy, don't give out any personal information or agree to any payment until you can independently verify that the call is legitimate. Steps for Avoiding Post-Disaster Insurance Scams Workers and agents who knock on doors of residences are required to carry official identification and show it upon request, and they may not ask for or accept money. Never reveal any personal information unless you've confirmed you're dealing with a legitimate official. If someone calls claiming to be a government official, hang up and call the number listed on that government agency's official website. Remember that phone scams often use spoofing techniques to deliberately falsify the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity or make the call appear to be official. Anyone claiming to be a federal official who asks for money is an imposter. Watch Out for Red Flagsįirst, know that officials with government disaster assistance agencies do not call or text asking for financial account information, and that there is no fee required to apply for or get disaster assistance from FEMA or the Small Business Administration. Scammers use phone, text, mail, email, and even go door to door to target residents of affected areas following hurricanes and damaging storms. Natural disasters and severe weather can create opportunities for fraud in their wake, occurring at a time when people may be especially vulnerable, or targeting charitable intentions. You'll find instructions there for filing a complaint, along with more information about what happens after a complaint is filed. If you are unable to resolve this matter with your provider, you can file a complaint or share your story with the FCC through the Consumer Complaint Center. We encourage you to contact your provider to resolve any service-related issues resulting from weather-related outages.
Learn how to prepare for such emergencies and what to do when outages occur. Emergency Communications TipsĬommunicating can be challenging during power outages caused by severe weather. Get FTC tips on how to spot and stop dishonest charity fundraising. A charity fundraiser that pocketed 90 percent of the money it collected has been flagged by the Federal Trace Commission (FTC) for its illegal activities.