U. S. Attorney Hairston Cautions Against Disaster Fraud in the Wake of Hurricane Helene

GREENSBORO, NC - United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina Sandra J. Hairston today reminded everyone to guard against and report disaster-related fraud following Hurricane Helene.

"The impact of disasters affecting our citizens are not just from the events themselves, but also from fraudsters who take advantage of disaster victims and good-hearted people who want to help those affected," said U.S. Attorney Hairston. "These criminals take advantage of victims before, during, and after a natural disaster strikes, targeting people when they are most vulnerable, and their methods to commit fraud are wide-ranging. My office works closely with the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), which tracks and manages complaints of fraudulent activity - like phony charities or fake contractors who prey on victims of hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and more. If you suspect that someone is trying to take advantage of your situation after a natural disaster or if you are the victim of disaster-related fraud, please contact the NCDF at (866) 720-5721 or online at http://www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm and complete the online form."

The NCDF is the result of a partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice and various law enforcement and regulatory agencies to form a national coordinating agency within the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, and to advocate for the victims of such fraud.

Here are examples based on over 200,000 disaster fraud complaints submitted to the NCDF:

• Fake charities immediately soliciting donations either using the names of well-known charities or appearing reasonable as related to a disaster;
• Individuals impersonating government officials advising that disaster assistance will be made available should the potential victim provide a sum of money or personal identifiers such as date of birth, social security number, and bank account information (name of financial institution, routing number, and account number);
• Individuals impersonating insurance provider representatives requesting money and personal identifiers as described above;
• Individuals soliciting victims to invest in non-existent businesses and ventures offering recovery efforts such as cleanup, rebuilding, and making structures (homes) more resistant to future disasters (e.g., elevation to minimize future flood risks);
• Individuals overcharging for goods and services needed by victims of disaster (aka price-gouging).

In addition, based on the type of disaster, individuals are frequently victimized by theft of property from businesses and residences abandoned because of a disaster (either evacuation pre-disasters such as flooding, hurricanes, and wildfires or to obtain living accommodations because of damaged apartments and homes).

Recommended Measures to Avoid Becoming a Victim

• Only make donations to known charities and only after contacting the charity directly and not in response to an email, instant message, phone call, text, etc. A recommended step is to research the charity by visiting recognized charity information/rating websites such as the www.Give.org, CharityNavigator.org, and CharityWatch.org.
• Never click on a link in an unsolicited email, instant message, text, etc.
• Never assume that charity solicitations posted on the internet and social media are legitimate.
• Avoid cash donations to charities - use a credit card or pay with a check. Never transmit donations to a named individual.
• Charities do not seek donations via electronic fund (financial institution)/wire transfers.
• Avoid being victimized by impersonators of government officials, insurance companies, investment companies, etc., by terminating the phone call or other exchange of information (e.g., email, texts) and calling the actual government agency, insurance company, and/or investment company directly using a well-advertised/posted phone number and/or email address.
• Check with your state contracting board before hiring a contractor to repair storm damage.
• Cautiously rely on recommendations from family and friends.
• Consider purchasing materials on your own from a reliable supplier and having them delivered to your damaged structure to avoid putting down money before work is started.
• Consider paying for repairs as they are completed.
• Do not be forced into making repair decisions by a high-pressure contractor.

Protect yourself and your neighbors. If you or someone you know has been targeted by fraudsters or been the victim of disaster-related fraud, contact the NCDF at (866) 720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.

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