It’s August, which means the East Coast is gearing up for hurricane season. Sadly, with those tropical storms come the hurricane relief scams. The problem has grown to where disaster fraud is now a recurrent billion dollar social problem. That’s a lot of fraud.
Greed, ambition, and, yes, even qualifications, determine which hurricane relief scams these guys practice. For instance, there are plenty who pretend to be legitimate contractors. They show up in the wake of a storm and offer grand promises paired with a low estimate. If the homeowner falls for the deal, the contractor either disappears along with the money or does shoddy work. Either way, the homeowner is in worse shape than before the contractor showed up.
Then, there are those more tech-savvy scammers. These are the clever ones who set up fake charities after major storms or other disasters. We’ve seen these scams time and again. Whether it’s a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy or a man-made tragedy like the Boston Marathon, these fake charities appear, rake in huge donations, then disappear with the donations.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this season were different? We all know that won’t happen, but at least we can be prepared. If you or someone you know is affected by a hurricane, remember these few simple tips about hurricane relief scams.
Use a legitimate contractor
Contractors should be licensed, bonded, and insured. While references are great, there are other ways to check them out. The Better Business Bureau (bbb.org) provides information about contractors, but there’s also Yelp.com. Use both of these sites to get insight into a contractor’s business practices.
Donate to legitimate charities
Vetting a charity is also easier these days. To check out a charity before you donate, go to charitynavigator.org.
We may not be able to avoid the natural disasters, but we can at least try to avoid those caused by crooks. And best of luck to everyone on the East Coast. Let’s hope it’s not a doozy of a season.
