19 Scam Alert: Natural disaster scams spike when hurricanes hit

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -In the wake of major disasters like the devastating flooding in Texas, and as hurricane season kicks off with Hurricane Erin, people with good intentions want to help rebuild.

But unfortunately, scammers see community members’ generosity as moments of opportunity.

When emotions are high after a natural disaster, things move quickly, for disaster relief efforts---and scammers.

“In the days and weeks after disaster, we see an uptick in scammers impersonating trusted organizations and really coming in to offer help that sounds legitimate, when it’s not,” said Blythe Figarelli with USAA.

She says these imposter charity scams, and fake donation sites or crowdfunding pages pop up in response to natural disasters.

They may look real, but the money never reaches anyone in need.

These scams cost Americans $3B in 2024, according to the FTC.

In the same year, the FBI got more than 45 hundred complaints, which was about $96M in losses from fraudulent disaster relief campaigns.

Figarelli says these scams can take on a lot of different forms, but the tactics are the same.

One of the biggest red flags to look out for is unexpected contact.

“That could be a phone call. That could be a text message on social media, or even someone showing up at your door. And then if you pair that with urgency, someone pressuring you to act right away, or maybe a request for an ususual payment like a wire transfer or a gift card, that’s your cue to pause,” said Figarelli.

According to her a good rule of thumb is to pause before you act or make any donation.

“Especially if you’re feeling rushed or emotional because that’s the exact moment the scammer is looking for,” Figarelli said.

Try to remember the acronym ‘STOP.’

Stay cautious

Take your time

Only rust-verified sources

Protect your information.

“Scammers move fast, but you don’t have to,” she said.

Even if you don’t lose money, and you detect a scammer at work before it’s too late, reporting the scam can help protect someone else from making a mistake.

Report the scam through the FTC, or the FBI website IC3.gov.

Both are quick and easy ways to file information about a scam.