6/6/2024
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After a disaster, scam artists, identity thieves and other criminals often attempt to take advantage of disaster survivors. Scammers may target survivors when they are in a stressful state and are more susceptible to potential fraud.
Scams can take different forms and be carried out in many ways, including phone calls, texts, mail or email, websites, or in person. Federal and state emergency management officials urge residents to watch for and report any suspicious activity by calling the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866)-720-5721 or your local police department.
Some post-disaster fraud practices may include the following:
If you have any doubts when receiving a call or an inspection visit from someone stating they are FEMA personnel, do not give out any information, but call (800)-621-3362 (TTY: (800)-462-7585) between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. ET to verify the call or visit is legitimate.
There may be occasions when a FEMA representative must contact you to verify personal data. When applying for assistance, you will receive a nine-digit registration number that can be used for reference when corresponding with FEMA. That is the number you would use to check the status of your application online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, when calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-(800)-621-3362 or in person with a FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) Team member. FEMA DSA staff will be working in affected areas to provide survivors with one-on-one help with applications, fielding questions about the registration process or even finding the current status of their case.
Fraudulent charitable solicitations: A list of reputable charities that are approved by the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance is available at Give.Org. Criminals exploit survivors by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating phony websites designed to solicit contributions.
The Alliance advises, “do not respond to unsolicited emails, watch out for pushy telemarketers and look out for fake charities that sound real by using similar names." For more information about avoiding charitable giving scams, visit the Federal Trade Commission's website.
Or, if you have knowledge of fraud, waste, or abuse, you can report these tips - 24 hours a day, seven days a week - to the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or email disaster@leo.gov.
For more information on West Virginia's disaster recovery, visit emd.wv.gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page, www.fema.gov/disaster/4783 and www.facebook.com/FEMA.
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FEMA's mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3's jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
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Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).