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If you live in the path of Hurricane Beryl as it moved through Texas, recovering is your number one priority right now. Unfortunately, scammers take advantage of situations like these to strike. Here's some information to help you spot and avoid the scams as you do your best to recover.

Scammers take advantage of weather emergencies and to try to trick you into thinking they’re there to help in some way. They pretend to be utility companies restoring power, workers making repairs, or even government agencies offering assistance — but it’s a lie. To avoid their tactics:

  • Ask for identification to verify who you are dealing with. Scammers and unlicensed contractors often appear in recovery zones. If they refuse to show you identification or want cash up front, walk away.
  • Never hire someone who shows up offering clean up or repair services but demands you pay cash or give them money in advance. Only scammers do that.
  • Don’t pay to get government assistance. Anyone who wants money to help you qualify for FEMA or Small Business Administration funds, it’s a scam. Download the FEMA Mobile App to get alerts and information.

Check out more red flags to help you avoid scams after a natural disaster — and share this information with others so they can also spot the scams. If you suspect a scam, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

 

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Spot scammers following Hurricane Beryl. Share what you know. ftc.gov/WeatherEmergencies
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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

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