Within the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, U.S. Legal professional Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida is urging the general public to stay vigilant in opposition to disaster-related fraud. The reminder comes as scammers usually exploit the chaos and vulnerability following hurricanes and different catastrophic occasions.
“Hurricane season is prime time for fraudsters,” stated Lapointe. “They are going to benefit from the devastation brought on by occasions like Hurricane Helene, focusing on each storm victims and people wanting to assist. We encourage everybody to report any suspected catastrophe fraud to the Nationwide Middle for Catastrophe Fraud (NCDF) by way of its hotline at (866) 720-5721 or on-line at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.”
Hurricane Helene, which made landfall on September 26 in Florida’s Huge Bend area, brought on widespread injury throughout a number of states, together with Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. As seen in earlier disasters, scammers use misleading techniques equivalent to faux charities, id theft schemes, and fraudulent solicitations to steal from well-meaning residents.
Lapointe emphasised the significance of being cautious when donating to aid efforts, warning the general public to be aware of solicitations that come by way of telephone calls, social media, e mail, and even door-to-door approaches. He urged potential donors to comply with key security tips, together with:
- Donating on to recognized, respected charities.
- Avoiding strain to donate instantly, as professional organizations don’t use aggressive techniques.
- Steering away from unsolicited emails or texts, and never clicking on hyperlinks in such messages.
- Verifying the legitimacy of charities by unbiased sources, and avoiding organizations with names just like established charities.
- Utilizing bank cards or checks for donations as an alternative of money.
- Being cautious of charities requesting donations by way of cash switch companies.
- Guaranteeing charity web sites finish in “.org” fairly than “.com.”
Lapointe additionally warned in opposition to opening unsolicited e mail attachments, which may comprise viruses, and emphasised that professional charities hardly ever ship photographs of catastrophe areas by way of e mail.
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The NCDF, established within the wake of Hurricane Katrina, works to fight disaster-related fraud. It companions with greater than 50 federal, state, and native businesses to analyze and prosecute these crimes. Suspected fraud could be reported by way of the NCDF’s 24/7 hotline or on-line grievance kind.
