A Message from the Federal Trade Commission

How to Avoid Scams that Arise from Weather Emergencies and Natural Disasters

As recovery efforts continue in areas of the Northeast hit hard by devastating flooding, scammers aren’t far behind. Your tragedy is an opportunity for them, and they’ll try to take advantage. If one of the recent storms damaged your community, you might get offers to do things like help you clean up debris or get financial help. The offer might even seem to come from a government official. But how do you know what’s real? The first thing to know is this: Walk away from anyone who demands personal information or money upfront. The FTC has developed these materials — an alert, a one-pager, and a Weather Emergency resource page — to help you spot and avoid scams.