The U.S.
Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Investigation’s and Diego Field
Office issued the following news release:
The Federal Bureau of
Investigation reminds the public to use caution when making donations in the
aftermath of the San Diego area wildfires. Unfortunately, criminals can exploit
these tragedies for their own gain by sending fraudulent e-mails and creating phony
websites designed to solicit contributions. Additionally, home repair and
cleanup frauds are especially common after natural disasters.
Disaster fraud is defined
as an activity with the purpose to defraud individuals or the government after
a natural or man-made catastrophe. Some common examples include unscrupulous
operators who persuade disaster fraud victims to claim more damages than
actually occurred, contractors who collect money to repair damaged property but
never complete the work, and homeowners who increase damage estimates for
personal gain.
There are five main forms
of disaster fraud. They include charitable solicitations, price gouging,
contractor and vendor fraud, property insurance fraud, and forgery.
Fraudulent charitable
solicitations involve people posing as both legitimate (e.g. Red Cross) and
non-existent organization workers collecting money to assist with disaster
relief.
Price gouging involves
businesses increasing the prices of goods that are in demand or limited in
order to make a larger profit.
Contractor and vendor
fraud is the product of an individual posing as a contractor or repairman with
no intention of actually repairing damages.
Some scams even require an
advance fee before providing the fraudulent labor (advance fee schemes).
Examples of this type of fraud
include inflating losses, faking repairs, and claiming lost services.
Finally, forgery comes
into play when dealing with disaster fraud. Commonly forged documents include
insurance checks and building permits and receipts for claims submitted to
insurance companies.
The FBI continues to
remind the public to perform due diligence before giving contributions to
anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to provide assistance to
victims of the wildfires. Solicitations can originate from e-mails, websites,
door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings, telephone calls, and other similar
methods.
Charitable Donation Fraud
Before making a donation
of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, including:
* Do not respond to any
unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within
those messages because they may contain computer viruses.
* Be skeptical of
individuals representing themselves as members of charitable organizations or
officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
* Beware of organizations
with copy-cat names similar to, but not exactly the same as those of reputable
charities.
* Rather than follow a
purported link to a website, verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations
by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the
group's existence and its nonprofit status.
* Be cautious of e-mails
that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the
files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
* To ensure contributions
are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to
known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your
behalf.
* Do not be pressured into
making contributions; reputable charities do not use such tactics.
* Be wary of out of state
organizations, especially if their only address is a post office box.
* Be aware of whom you are
dealing with when providing your personal and financial information. Providing
such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to
identity theft.
* Avoid cash donations if
possible. Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity. Do not
make checks payable to individuals.
* Legitimate charities do
not normally solicit donations via money transfer services. Most legitimate
charities websites end in .org rather than .com.
* Be wary of individuals
pretending to be representatives from the Federal Emergency Management
Agency collecting a "processing fee" for an emergency loan or
other assistance. If you receive a phone call or visit from someone claiming to
be a representative of a particular agency, always call the agency to confirm
the representative is legitimate.
Identity Theft
Many people can lose
important documents after a natural disaster. These items, which often contain
personal information such as a Social Security and credit card and
bank account numbers, can be used by identity thieves to make purchases and
open new accounts in your name. Be sure to do the following:
* Contact your creditors
immediately to report lost credit cards. Contact your bank if you have lost
checks or bank card.
* Use a paper shredder to
dispose of any papers or documents with personal information when you are
cleaning up after a disaster so identity thieves cannot get your personal
information.
* Get a copy of your
credit report a few weeks after the disaster to be sure no one has illegally
used your personal information. You can obtain a free credit report once a year
from each of the three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian,
and Trans Union.
Home Repair Fraud
Unfortunately, disaster
fraud can be found following nearly every devastating event. One common type of
natural disaster fraud is the home repair scheme. Following a natural disaster,
victims of the disaster are often immediately in search of a contractor or
repairman to help rebuild or restore their homes. Legitimately licensed home
repair companies are usually quickly scheduled for jobs after a disaster
strikes. Some homeowners in need of immediate repairs neglect normal
precautions and hire a dubious relief source. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offer the
following tips when hiring relief to do repairs after a disaster.
* Deal only with licensed
and insured contractors.
* Get recommendations and
check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Home
Builders Association to see if complaints exist against a potential
contractor.
* Review the contract
thoroughly. Get written estimates. Ask someone (friend, family, and attorney)
to review the contract before signing. Get a second opinion.
* Avoid dealing with
contractors that request money up front before a job is completed.
* Be skeptical of a
contractor that has you spend a lot of money for temporary repairs.
* Never pay a home
contractor or any other vendor in cash. Do not sign over your insurance
settlement check. Only pay by credit card or personal check. Be sure not to pay
in full up front.
* Don't be pressured.
Don't fall for hiring someone who is offering a "one-day-only"
special or a discount for hiring him on the spot. Disreputable contractors
often solicit door to door offering rebuilding of cleaning services after a
natural disaster.
The FBI and the National
Center for Disaster Fraud have an existing tip line to receive information
concerning disaster scams such as the San Diego area wildfires. Tips
should be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866)
720-5721. The line is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. Additionally, e-mails can be sent to disaster@leo.gov, and information can be
faxed to (225) 334-4707.
The National Center for
Disaster Fraud was created by the Department of Justice to
investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when
billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region.
Now, its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or
man-made disaster. More than 20 federal agencies, including the FBI,
participate in the NCDF, which allows the center to act as a centralized
clearinghouse of information related to disaster relief fraud.
The public can also report
suspicious e-mail solicitations or fraudulent websites to the FBI's Internet
Crime Complaint Center, www.ic3.gov or by calling the FBI at telephone number
(858) 320-1800.
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