Crime: Fraud targeting Hurricane Ian victims, State: Florida, Year: 2022
Federal authorities are warning residents of Florida to be on the lookout for fraudsters targeting those affected by Hurricane Ian. The National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) has issued a reminder that scammers and fake charities are preying on individuals already struggling to recover from the storm.
"Fraudsters targeting individuals who are already suffering from the impact of Hurricane Ian is despicable and an inexcusable crime," said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr., who serves as the Executive Director of the NCDF.
The NCDF reports that in the wake of Hurricane Ian, there is no indication that criminals will slow down their efforts to commit fraud on individuals already victimized by the storm. The following examples of disaster-related fraud are based on over 200,000 historical complaints submitted to the NCDF:
• Fake charities immediately soliciting donations using the names of well-known charities or appearing reasonable as related to a disaster
• Individuals impersonating government officials and insurance company representatives advising that disaster assistance will be made available should the potential victim provide a sum of money or personal identifiers such as date of birth, social security number and bank account information
• Individuals soliciting victims to invest in non-existent businesses and ventures offering recovery efforts such as cleanup, rebuilding and making structures, such as homes, more resistant to future disasters by elevating structures to minimize future flood risks
• Individuals overcharging for goods and services needed by victims of disaster, also known as price-gouging
• Theft of property from businesses and residences abandoned because of a disaster
The NCDF urges residents to take precautions to avoid becoming a victim of disaster fraud. These precautions include:
• Only making donations to known charities and only after contacting the charity directly
• Never clicking on a link in an unsolicited email or text
• Avoiding cash donations to charities and using a credit card or check instead
• Never transmitting donations to a specifically named individual
• Charities do not seek donations via electronic fund transfers, so do not wire donations
Defendant: No specific defendant was mentioned in the source, so we cannot include the mandatory facts for a specific defendant. However, we can include the information about the crime and the state.
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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