Hurricane season in Florida may not be your favorite time of the year, but for disaster scammers, Christmas comes early when they get your money in September and October. Predatory flim-flamers will travel hundreds of miles to a hurricane-hit area to take advantage of the desperate and the unwary.
Below are a few ways that scammers might try to take your money or get your personal information after a hurricane or other disaster.
Reputable contractors and tree removal services are in high demand after a hurricane, creating an opportunity for scammers. Be wary of anyone who approaches you unsolicited. Common angles are promising immediate clean-up and repairs, or offering a discount by using leftover materials from a previous project. These people may price gouge, or demand payment up front then leave without doing the work, or doing the work wrong. Contact your insurance company to evaluate damage to make sure you are covered before scheduling repairs. Before you pay, ask for IDs, licenses, and proof of insurance. Get everything in writing about the agreed-upon work. If you pay a contractor who doesn’t pay subcontractors, the subcontractor may put a lien on your property without you even knowing it.
An Assignment of Benefits (AOB) is a document that allows policyholders to sign over their insurance benefits to a third party contractor. This allows the contractor to file an insurance claim, make repair decisions, and collect benefits without the policyholder’s involvement. Contact your insurance company to discuss before you sign an AOB. Be suspicious of any company that pressures you to sign, or insists on the use of an AOB in order to do repairs.
Never pay by cash, wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency. Scammers want to be paid in one of these ways because it will be impossible for you to get your money back. Never make the final payment until the work is done and you are satisfied.
Scammers might masquerade as government workers trying to help you, utility workers, or inspectors who pressure you with claims that work needs to be done immediately. Don’t give them money, and ask for identification to verify who you are dealing with. None of them would ever need your Social Security or account numbers, so don’t give out any personal information.
If someone wants money to help you qualify for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds, it’s a scam.
Scammers will take advantage of people who need a place to live while they rebuild. They will advertise rentals that don’t exist, then take your money and run. A “landlord” is a scammer if they want you to wire money, require security deposit, or demand rent before you’ve met or signed a lease.
Charity scammers prey on the good will and compassion of people who want to help hurricane victims. Be suspicious of any unsolicited calls, texts, emails, or social media messages asking for donations. They might use familiar-sounding names or logos. Run from it if the alleged charity representative uses high-pressure tactics or avoids providing you with additional information on the charitable organization. Verify whether the charity is authentic on the websites for Donating Wisely and Avoiding Charity Scams.
Research the reputation of a company that approaches you, and ask for references. Contact the Attorney General’s hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM, and the Better Business Bureau online at bbb.org, to see if there are complaints against the company. Never pay the full amount up front, and do not make a final payment until you are completely satisfied with the work done.
Attorney General, Ashley Moody, recently released the 2024 Hurricane Preparedness Guide. Since it is her role as Attorney General to legally protect Floridians, the publication includes a section about how to avoid disaster scams. For more information, the guide can be found at https://www.myfloridalegal.com/sites/default/files/2024hurricanepreparednessguide.pdf.