Natural disasters include all types of severe weather, which have the potential to pose a significant threat to human health and safety, property, critical infrastructure, and homeland security. Scammers are prevalent during this time and will take advantage of vulnerable individuals and exploit them for money.

According to the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), they advise survivors and those donating to be cautious of scams around Disaster Fraud. Scammers will impersonate government employees and bogus charities in efforts to take advantage of your kindness or vulnerability. Fraudsters pretend to help with recovery but are trying to obtain your financial information.

NCUA and FEMA urge those affected by the natural disaster or those lending a helping hand to remain vigilant.

Red Flags:

Donating to Natural Disaster:

  • Use caution if any organization ask for donations in the following forms:
    • Gift Cards
    • Wire Transfers
    • Zelle or Venmo payments
    • Cash
  • Feeling pressured into donating: Organizations will not pressure you into donating or use hard-sell tactics.

Survivors:

  • No government employee or state worker should ever ask for or accept money from you when applying for disaster assistance.
  • If an individual from a government agency approaches you and they do not have proper identification, do not trust or offer any personal information and always ask to see an official I.D.
  • Take your time and do not hesitate to contact the government agencies or local law enforcement to confirm the identity and legitimacy of suspicious contacts.
  • Inspectors will never ask for your nine-digit registration number.
  • They never ask for banking information. FEMA never charges a fee for an inspection.

Fake Offers of Local or Federal Aid:

  • Do not trust someone who asks for money. Government agencies, and local law enforcement agencies will never charge applicants for disaster assistance or help in filling out applications.
  • Do not believe anyone who promises a disaster grant and asks for large cash deposits or advance payments in full.

Building Contractors:

  • Use licensed or verified local contractors. Review their references.
  • Do not pay more than half the costs of repairs in advance.
  • Demand that contractors provide detailed writing with guarantees of the job being completed.

Identity Theft:

  • If a FEMA inspector comes to your residence and you have not filed a FEMA application, your information may have been used without your knowledge. Advise the inspector of this.
  • If you receive a letter from FEMA but did not apply for assistance, please call their hotline at 800-621-3362 between 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET daily.

Prevention:

Donating:

  • Research before you donate:
    • Legitimate organizations will have their mission statement and what your donation will go towards on their website.
    • Legitimate organizations are listed on the National Association of State Charity Officials website.
  • Read reviews from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to determine the charity’s validity.
  • Avoid using websites with typos, grammatical errors, or vague information. When donating it is best practice to have all pertinent information.

Survivors:

  • Report fraud or scams to FEMA investigations and Inspections Division
    • Email: stopFEMAFraud@fema.dhs.gov
    • Phone: 866-223-0814
    • Fax: 202-212-4926
    • Mail: 400 C Street SW Suite 7SW-1009 Mail Stop 3005 Washington D.C., 20472-3005
  • Contact your local law enforcement
  • File a complaint with the National Center of Disaster Fraud
  • File complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov for identity theft concerns
  • Contact Soarion Credit Union if you notice fraud on your account

Sources:

National Credit Union Administration, www.ncua.gov

FEMA, www.fema.gov