How to Avoid Disaster Relief Scams Following Fires, Floods, Hurricanes, and More

After natural disasters, scammers may pose as contractors or FEMA officials to steal your money

Andy Markowitz and Deirdre van Dyk

Updated July 11, 2025

Comments

En español

Published April 22, 2019

/ Updated July 11, 2025

two people embrace on the roof of a flooded home while hands reach to steal money from their pockets

Illustration: Cristina Spanò

We’ve seen how disasters can bring out the best in people, as neighbors and strangers roll up their sleeves and open their wallets to help those who have lost their homes. They also bring out scammers, for whom others’ misfortune is just a chance to make a fast buck.

“Scammers are also first responders,” warns Steve Weisman, law professor at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and editor of Scamicide.com.

How disaster scams work

Some of these criminals take your money and run. Others overcharge for shoddy work. And since they lack local licensing, your homeowner’s insurance might not cover it.

Fake contractors. Two common scams are contractors who use high-pressure sales tactics to push you to pay them money upfront for repairs or rebuilding, then disappear. Or they may tell you there’s damage to your roof when there isn’t.

“They’ll end up … being paid for a whole new roof, even though you don’t need one,” says Joe Brenckle, NICB director of public affairs. Brenckle recalls stories of scammers using hammers to smash holes in roofs to imitate hail damage.

Government, utility and insurance impostors. Criminals claim to work for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or other government bodies and contact victims with promises of government grants, building permits or help speeding up insurance claims. Or a supposed government agent asks for payment to conduct an inspection or help you apply for disaster assistance. “No legitimate FEMA employee asks for any kind of funds,” says Weisman.

Scammers may claim to be with the electric company and offer priority reconnection to the grid if you pay a deposit or fee. And some pose as public insurance adjusters, charging high fees for doubtful damage assessments or directing you to disreputable contractors with whom they’re in league.

Bogus charities. Disasters also unleash a torrent of phony charities, which get busy pumping out calls, texts, emails and social media posts soliciting donations for relief work.

As fires or hurricanes bear down on communities, scammers snap up internet domains featuring the fire’s location or the storm’s name and words like “help” and “relief.” Other faux fundraisers imply a connection to well-known aid organizations like the Red Cross or Oxfam.

How to protect yourself from this scam

1. Prepare in advance. Before the disaster, it’s a good idea to understand what’s covered and how. Call your insurance company to clarify any coverage questions you may have. “They will have the bandwidth to spend more time talking to you and explaining your policy and offering tips and assistance,” says Brenckle.

2. Investigate before hiring a contractor. Check the vehicle of any contractor who shows up unsolicited for a business name, phone number, and state contractor license number. Get references. Look them up on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and other consumer review sites. “Don’t get pressured … verify that they’re insured, properly licensed, and there aren’t any complaints against them,” says Weisman.

Brenckle suggests doing your homework ahead of time. “Do your research and collect the names of companies that repair roofs, perform tree removal and other services in your area before you’re hit and keep them in a safe place.”

3. Call your insurance company. Before beginning any repairs, check with your insurer to ensure any work you are considering is covered and if you need to work with a preferred contractor or auto mechanic. And never sign over insurance checks to contractors or sign documents giving them rights to your insurance claims.

4. Make sure you’re working with genuine insurance agents. After some disasters, insurance companies will work with the state department of insurance to set up an “insurance village” with companies that have policyholders in the area, says Brenckle. As disaster sites can be chaotic, you should check their license with your state’s insurance department. The same is true of insurance adjusters.

5. Confirm that FEMA reps are legitimate. FEMA is on the ground to offer assistance and agents do knock on doors to assist survivors, but genuine FEMA staff will have a government-issued laminated photo badge and be happy to show it to you. A FEMA shirt or jacket is not proof of identity. Call FEMA at 800-621-3362 or visit the closest FEMA Disaster Recovery Center to speak to staff. FEMA also has a page that addresses myths and facts surrounding FEMA payments.

6. Check the charity. Give to charities with a proven track record of disaster work. Use online resources like Charity Navigator, CharityWatch, GuideStar or the BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance to check an organization’s bona fides. Don’t take disaster solicitations on social media or crowdfunding sites at face value.

What to do if you are targeted

The Department of Justice partners with law enforcement to create the National Center for Disaster Fraud. You can report scams by phone at 866-720-5721 or online.

Call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, FEMA’s Office of the Chief Security Officer at 866-223-0814, or write to FEMA-OCSO-Tipline@fema.dhs.gov. FEMA’s fraud page has details on how to spot suspicious activity and outlines how the agency communicates with survivors. You can also use the FEMA Recovery app to apply for assistance.

Report the scam to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov) and your state attorney general. Not every complaint leads to enforcement action, but the information can help officials spot trends, warn the public, and sometimes identify the criminals.

Editor’s note: This article, originally published in 2019, was updated with new statistics and expert advice.

%{postComment}%

Andy Markowitz covers Social Security and retirement for AARP. He is a former editor of the Prague Post and Baltimore City Paper.

Deirdre van Dyk is an AARP associate editor covering Social Security, caregiving, technology and fraud. She previously worked at USA Today and Time, where she covered business, government, sustainability and innovation.

Unlock Access to AARP Members Edition

Join AARP to Continue

Already a Member? Login