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Nobody knows how long it’ll take to recover from the devastating flooding and destruction of Hurricane Helene. But we do know it won’t be long before scammers try to cash in on the storm. As you’re working to get back on your feet, learn how scammers operate — and how to avoid them.

Here are a few ways that scammers might try to take your money or personal information after Hurricane Helene.

  • Spot imposter scams. Scammers might pretend to be someone “official” like safety inspectors, or someone from government. But anyone asking you for your money or personal information right away is a scammer. Don’t give them money. Ask for identification and verify who you are dealing with.
  • Spot FEMA impersonators charging application fees. If someone asks you for money to help you qualify for FEMA funds, it’s a scam. That’s not how FEMA works. Instead, once you have service, download the FEMA Mobile App to get alerts and information.
  • Spot home improvement and debris removal scams. Unlicensed contractors and scammers may appear in recovery zones with promises of quick repairs or clean-up services. Walk away if they demand cash payments up front, or refuse to give you copies of their license, insurance, and a contract in writing.

Check out resources for Hurricane Helene from FEMA in English and Spanish.

Spotted a scam? Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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Recovering from a weather emergency?

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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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