Hurricane Milton strikes Florida, officials warn of hurricane relief scams

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Hurricane Milton made landfall successful Florida Wednesday night, pursuing the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene astir 2 weeks prior, which resulted successful implicit 200 deaths and extended spot damage. As alleviation efforts continue, the United States Department of Justice is alerting the nationalist to a emergence successful scams aimed astatine exploiting victims of these disasters.

Milton started its demolition successful California Wednesday, Oct. 9 arsenic a Category 3 tempest but has since weakened to a Category 1 arsenic it travels crossed Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center. As of Thursday morning, the tempest has chopped disconnected powerfulness to much than 3 cardinal people, spawned a fig of tornadoes and killed 4 people.

According to the Justice Department, scammers are speedy to exploit upwind disasters and the radical affected by them.

The Justice Department, including the NCDF, stands acceptable to forestall these atrocious actors from fraudulent activity. We are present to enactment victims of earthy disasters during these hard times unneurotic with our state, section and national partners, and agencies. In an effort to assistance the astir susceptible neighbors who are susceptible to these types of fraudulent schemes, we promote you to beryllium diligent successful reporting suspicious enactment connected their behalf.

According to the department, the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, scammers volition often usage the pursuing kinds of scams to instrumentality advantage:

• Fraudulent charities soliciting donations for catastrophe victims that often imitate the names of charities linked to the disaster.
• Scammers impersonating authorities officials, offering catastrophe alleviation successful speech for idiosyncratic accusation oregon money.
• Scammers promoting non-existent businesses oregon concern opportunities related to catastrophe recovery, specified arsenic rebuilding oregon flood-proofing.
• Price gouging for indispensable goods and services needed by catastrophe victims.
• Businesses utilizing proviso concatenation disruptions arsenic a screen for collusion to overcharge customers.

The section encourages radical to workout caution earlier giving wealth oregon idiosyncratic accusation to idiosyncratic connected the phone, and reminds radical of the following:

• Only scammers volition importune that you wage for services by ligament transfer, acquisition card, outgo app, cryptocurrency oregon successful cash.
• If they committedness to assistance you suffice for alleviation for a fee, it is simply a scam.
• You should ne'er motion your security cheque implicit to idiosyncratic else.
• Make definite you probe contractors and get estimates from much than 1 earlier signing a enactment contract.
• Get a written declaration for repairs and work it cautiously earlier signing.

Jonathan McNamara with the American Red Cross emphasized to 8News that the enactment volition ne'er petition wealth oregon idiosyncratic accusation done telephone calls.

As Florida grapples with the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, officials impulse residents to enactment informed and cautious, ensuring that their donations scope morganatic organizations moving to assistance those successful need.

If you bash get a scam telephone similar this, you tin study it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud by completing a Disaster Complaint Form oregon by calling 866-720-5721, which is simply a hotline staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.