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When disaster strikes, everyone in the community is impacted — including older adults. That’s why having a plan and knowing how to spot disaster-related scams can make a difference to anyone recovering. If you’re not sure where to begin, there are free tools to help you get started on a plan that includes fraud prevention.   

September is National Preparedness Month, a great time to review, update, or even draft your plan for emergencies. Take note of the information below to make sure you and people around you are prepared to deal with and recover from a disaster: 

  • Use the advice on this video and share it. And check out Ready.gov’s Disaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adults to ensure the plan fits your needs — or the needs of older adults you know.
  • Bookmark DisasterAssistance.gov to find local help. Having this information handy will save you time and keep you from clicking on a scammy search result while you focus on recovering.
  • Recognize government impersonators. After a disaster, scammers might pretend to work for the government and offer you a grant or assistance to recover. But anyone who contacts you unexpectedly and says they work for the government but asks for money or financial information is a scammer. Never pay or share your bank account information to get disaster funds.
  • Learn more about detecting and avoiding disaster and weather related scams at ftc.gov/WeatherEmergencies. 

Have you spotted or lost money to a disaster-related scam? Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. 

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