Sunday, November 4, 2012

Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy Raises Potential for Disaster Fraud


In the wake of natural disasters, many people want to contribute to victim assistance programs and organizations across the country—however, there is always a potential for disaster relief fraud in these situations. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) are asking the public to apply a critical eye and do due diligence before giving to anyone soliciting donations on behalf of hurricane victims. Solicitations can originate as e-mails, websites, door-to-door collections, mailings, telephone calls, and other similar methods.
Suspected fraudulent activity pertaining to relief efforts associated with Hurricane Sandy should be reported to the toll-free NCDF hotline at 866-720-5721. The hotline is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the purpose of reporting suspected scams being perpetrated by criminals in the aftermath of disasters.
For more information, including tips to avoid being victimized before making a donation of any kind, read the press release issued by the Department of Justice.

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