As Hurricane Milton steams toward Florida even as Americans continue to clean up from Hurricane Helene, another threat looms: scammers trying to exploit the disasters, and many people's impulse to help those in need, by posing as legitimate charities.
The National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), established by the Justice Department after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to protect people from scams following disasters, is warning the public to be leery of some hurricane-related solicitations for funds that could be efforts by criminals to steal your money or personal information.
"In the wake of Helene, fraudsters will target victims of the storm along with citizens across the country who want to do what they can to assist individuals affected by the storm. Unfortunately, criminals exploit disasters for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating deceiving websites designed to solicit contributions," the NCDF said.
Types of fraud to watch out for
NCDF urges people to be alert to possible scams and report suspected fraudulent activity online.
"The public should exercise diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to assist those affected by Helene," the Justice Department said in a recent statement. "Solicitations can originate from phone calls, texts, social media, email, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings and other similar methods."
The federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) similarly warns consumers to be on guard to possible scams after natural disasters.
"Exercise caution in handling emails with hurricane-related subject lines, attachments or hyperlinks," CISA said in an October 8 alert on its website. "In addition, be wary of social media pleas, texts or door-to-door solicitations relating to severe weather events.
How to avoid being scammed
Fraudulent emails and social media messages containing malicious links or attachments are common after major natural disasters, according to the Justice Department. So before making a financial donation to help hurricane victims, consider the following, the agency advises:
- Make contributions directly to known organizations. Do not rely on others to donate your behalf.
- Be suspicious of "charities" that use high-pressure tactics to seek donations — reputable organizations don't do that.
- Don't respond to unsolicited communications, including emails and texts.
- Don't click on links from unknown parties — bad actors may use "phishing" techniques to get you to share your bank account, credit card or other sensitive information.
- A genuine charity doesn't require your Social Security number to make a contribution.
- Research an organization online before making a donation; also visit organizations' websites directly, rather than following links sent to you by email, text or other means.
- Scammers may create fake websites that appear legitimate, so double check a site's URL — criminals often use copy-cat names that are similar to those of reputable organizations.
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