EMERGENCY ACTION PLANNING > Blog > Disaster Fraud > Word of the Week – Fraud
Word of the Week – Fraud
20220328 Word of the Week – Fraud
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/fraud
Beware of disaster fraud.
Unfortunately, during the aftermath of the disaster, there will be an influx of con artists into the area wanting to take your money from you.
You should know some things about disaster fraud or consumer fraud in general.
Repair fraud:
Keep in mind that all electrical plumbing structural work and tree removal services should always be performed by a licensed insured and experienced worker.
Uninsured workers may have the right to sue you if they injure themselves on your property. That means if somebody has come from out of state to commit fraud against you and hurt themselves, they can still sue you and get money from you regardless of whether they were there to conduct a criminal act.
Tree removal can easily cause significant damage to your or your neighbors’ property. In addition, if the company or workers you have hired is uninsured, you will be liable for the damage.
Although it may seem like repairmen will be in short supply after a disaster, it will be in your best interest to shop around before hiring anybody to make repairs in your property. Do business only with established licensed and insured workers and be cautious of sound-alike names.
Never let anybody on your property to conduct any work or repair without first validating their qualifications. Their legality to do so and establish a written contract. Do not rush into a deal. If they are trying to rush you into an agreement, that should be a red flag to let you know something might be wrong.
Do not pay for the entire cost of the repair of front because the workmen tells you they need the money to go buy supplies. If they are established and legal, they will already have the resources to gather the supplies they will need.
Charity fraud:
If the disaster does not impact you, it might feel good to donate to assist people who were. One important thing to do is check to see if it is a registered charity.
Ask some questions about where it is located, what percent of the money goes to the actual program, and what programs this charity offers your community. If this is a legitimate solicitation, the individual will know these answers and won’t mind giving them to you so you can check out that information. If there is any push-back, hang up the phone and tell the person to go away and seek some other reputable charity to give your money to.
Financial fraud:
If you find yourself in a position where you need to fill out loan and grant applications because of the disaster, be cautious about offers to help you fill out the forms for a fee.
Telephone fraud:
Unless you are the person making an outgoing call to a reputable agency that you have already vetted, do not give out any personal identifying information. Social Security numbers, credit card numbers and expiration dates, checking account numbers, etc., over the telephone.
If you are receiving a call and are in doubt, ask whoever is soliciting the call if you can call them back, get their phone number and then do additional diligence to check out their validity.
For your education and entertainment, you can check out the interview that was done with Detective Daniel J. (DJ) Seals at this link:
Additional information:
The Best and Worst of Us: https://www.emergencyactionplanning.com/2017/09/02/the-best-and-worst-of-us/
National Center For Disaster Fraud (NCDF): https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud
Till next time
“Be Safe”