NATURAL DISASTER SCAMS- Taking Advantage in Times of Need

We are susceptible to natural disasters in the Pacific Northwest including wildfires, windstorms, flooding, or earthquakes. The wildfires in the Spokane area earlier this summer are a case in point where homes were destroyed causing a need to help the homeowners who lost their homes, to take care of their immediate housing needs, and to arrange for reconstruction of their homes.

And right with natural disasters often come scammers. They take advantage of the uncertainty, grieving of loss of a home, frustration, and other emotions that disaster victims and observers might feel. Natural disaster scams can pop up in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or weeks or months later during recovery.

The scammers use one of three tactics to steal your money,

Fake contractors. Scammers will pose as a contractor using high pressure tactics to claim that they can start your repairs sooner, for under the normal prices of other contractors, and faster. They may ask for a hefty deposit to get started. They may recommend repairs that do not need to be done. They may start some repairs, do shoddy work, or just take your money and not return.

Other tactics fake contractors might use include,

·         High pressure

·         Upfront fees

·         No contract

·         They can start right away

·         They might tell you that they are working in the area and have some extra material that they can use right away

·         Offer a discount just for you

·         Ask you to sign over your insurance payment directly to them as payment

·         Offer fast, cheap repairs

Before hiring any contractor check the vehicle that they drive for a business name, phone number, and contractor license number. Look up the contractor on the Washington State Labor and Industries website (https://www.lni.wa.gov/). You can verify that they are licensed with the state and can find out about safety violations, or lawsuits against the contractor. Before hiring, check with your insurance to ensure the proposed repairs are covered in your policy.

Imposter scams. Scammers will pose as a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employee, or to be from a local utility or your insurance company. They may promise to help with federal grants, building permits, or to speed up insurance claims for a fee. Scammers who claim to be with the electric utility may offer priority reconnection for a fee or deposit. Imposter insurance adjusters may charge a high fee for doubtful damage assessments or direct you to disreputable contractors who they work with.

FEMA emphasizes that no employee will ask for payment. And other government employees will not demand payment for their services. For any government employee ask to see their identification. As a further check, contact the agency that the person claims to work for; ask for verification that they work for the agency. For example, FEMA encourages people to call their Helpline, 800-621-3362, to verify that someone actually works for the agency.

Charity Scams. Scammers love natural disasters. They can flood email, texts, phone calls, and social media posts with charity scams. They appeal to our altruism and motivation to help others to steal our money. Plus, they do not have to be at a location, they can be anywhere and steal from anyone. They often pretend to be from aid organizations such as the Red Cross, or they may set up websites claiming from the local area to solicit donations.

A new tactic for charity scammers is to solicit donations at the mall or a street corner with heavy foot traffic. They will have a poster with a QR code that you can scan, that takes you to the scammers website where you can donate money. Do not scan the QR code!

Do not give to any charity on impulse. Watch out for names of fake charities that look very close to actual charities. All charities need to be registered with the State of Washington. Check out a charity that you are interested in donating to with the Washington State Secretary of State at https://www.sos.wa.gov/. You can also check out charities at websites such as Charity Navigator,  https://www.charitynavigator.org/, or Charity Watch, https://www.charitywatch.org/.

Scammers may set up fake crowdfunding or Go Fund Me pages for specific natural disasters. A legitimate Go Fund Me page should have,

·         How the organizer is related to the recipient (friend, family member, etc.)

·         How the money is to be used

Before contributing, review the terms and conditions of GoFundMe at www.GoFundMe.com. Also, be sure that the information on the page is accurate.

Also, be wary of donation solicitations on social media and appeals from celebrities.

Reporting fraud is an important step to stopping fraud during a disaster. If you are recovering from a natural disaster and become victimized in a scam, immediately report the scam to,

·         Local police

·         The Washington State Attorney General’s Office- https://www.atg.wa.gov/

·         The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General- Phone- 1-800-323-8603, Website- https://www.oig.dhs.gov/hotline

AARP:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/disaster/

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scams-after-weather-emergencies-and-natural-disasters

 

 

Federal Communications Commission

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/after-storms-watch-out-scams

 

 

Department of Justice:

Note: Some of the above sources refer to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (DCDF) as a resource to report fraud. According to the U.S. Department of Justic (DOJ) the NCDF was closed as of March 31, 2026. The following links provide resources to report fraud to the federal government:

 

https://www.justice.gov/archives/disaster-fraud

 

https://www.oig.dhs.gov/hotline