Fraudsters Target Disaster Victims

Fraudsters are preying on victims of natural disasters, committing crimes such as impersonation of federal law enforcement officials, identity theft, and fraudulent submission of claims to insurance companies and the federal government.

The National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), a national coordinating agency within the Criminal Division, was established in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters.

“Committing fraud against natural disaster victims is an inexcusable crime,” said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. “We are now in hurricane season, and it is important for people to be on the lookout for fraudsters who seek to profit from natural disasters through identity theft schemes and solicitations for fake charities.

The NCDF seeks to protect victims of such fraud and has partnered with numerous U.S. Attorney Offices in districts impacted by recent hurricanes to combat disaster fraud. In an effort to strengthen partnerships, the NCDF has joined with Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who was recently installed as the President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), in an effort to spread the message of the NCDF to more of our partners nationwide.

Examples of illegal activity being reported to the NCDF include impersonation of federal law enforcement officials, identity theft, fraudulent submission of claims to insurance companies and the federal government, and fraudulent activity related to solicitations for donations and charitable giving.

The NCDF operates a call center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and serves as a centralized clearinghouse for disaster fraud complaints and information relating to both natural and man-made disasters. More than 20 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which allows them to forward on complaints to the appropriate agency for investigation.

The NCDF is working to keep Americans from becoming victims of these schemes, and the public is urged to be aware of scams and report them to the National Center for Disaster Fraud. The NCDF has an excellent staff of investigators, analysts, call center operators, and managers who are dedicated to protecting victims of disaster fraud.

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