BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — FEMA officials want those impacted by Hurricane Ida to be on high alert for scammers.
According to FEMA spokesperson Nathan Custer, multiple scams have already been reported.
“It’s a problem we deal with on virtually every disaster declaration,” he said.
Some parish officials, including West Feliciana authorities, took to social media to make residents aware of suspected scammers posing as FEMA representatives.
“If someone comes to your door, or even if that person is wearing a FEMA shirt or hat like I am, don’t deal with them unless they have a photo ID,” said Custer.
Custer said to look out for the following red flags:
- They’re asking for money for services. (All FEMA services are free of cost.)
- They’re refusing to show identification or provide a full name.
- They’re texting or calling asking for personal information.
Custer wants to remind folks that during tough times it’s easy to fall for scams because of the stress that comes with recovery.
“You may be at a weak moment and maybe you don’t give it the attention you normally would,” Custer said.
Those who believe they are a victim of a scam need to report it to their local officials first and then to FEMA here. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is also proving tips to avoid falling victim to a storm-related scam here.