DOJ promises crack down on post Milton, Helene fraud

The National Center for Disaster Fraud, created to investigate and prosecute post-disaster scammers, is warning storm victims to be wary.

By Louis Llovio
| 11:30 a.m. October 14, 2024
| 2 Free Articles Remaining!

Hurricane Helene flooded much of Florida's west coast barrier islands.

Florida

As anyone who has been around Florida for a while knows, hurricanes bring out the scammers. They pretend to be contractors, collect money in the name of charities that don’t exist, apply for relief funds they don’t qualify for and offer a helping hand while the other searches for your wallet.

The U.S. Department of Justice knows full well what’s happening and warns that it will crack down.

“Our office stands ready to assist in holding accountable individuals who seek to take advantage of disaster victims and exploit disaster relief programs for their own personal gain,” says Roger B. Handberg, the U.S. Attorney for Florida’s Middle District, adding that his office is “committed to aggressively prosecuting those who commit this type of fraud.”

It’s important to note that when Handberg speaks of prosecuting post-storm fraud he knows what he is talking about. After leaving private practice to become a prosecutor about 20 years ago, one of his first assignments was to investigate FEMA fraud cases after Hurricane Katrina.

He prosecuted more than 40 people.

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Milton and Helene, the office will be working to investigate allegations as part of the National Center for Disaster Fraud.

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based national agency is part of the Justice Department’s criminal division. Its job is to “improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, and to advocate for the victims of such fraud.”

NCDF was created in 2005 after Katrina and is now the national coordinating organization for disasters, working on cases with law enforcement and regulatory agencies.

Individuals and businesses targeted or who are victims of disaster-related fraud can contact the NCDF at (866) 720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.

How to protect yourself from disaster fraud

Donate only to well-known charities after verifying them through trusted sources.
Do not respond to unsolicited requests for donations via email, phone, or text, and do not click on links in unsolicited messages.
Do not assume that online or social media charity solicitations are legitimate.
Use credit cards or checks for donations. Don’t send cash or use wire transfers or mobile payment apps.
Remember that government agencies and legitimate organizations will never ask for money or personal information via phone or email.
Beware of contractors who knock on your door or make unsolicited contact, and/or make promises that sound too good to be true.
Cautiously rely on recommendations from family and friends.
Do not be forced into making repair decisions by a high-pressure contractor.

author

Louis Llovio

Louis Llovio is the deputy managing editor at the Business Observer. Before going to work at the Observer, the longtime business writer worked at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Maryland Daily Record and for the Baltimore Sun Media Group. He lives in Tampa.