Flooding caused by the remnants of Typhoon Halong recently struck Alaska’s western coastline, resulting in at least one death and leaving more than 1,500 people without shelter, food, or clean water. Rescue operations have been ongoing to help those affected by the disaster.
Authorities are warning that this vulnerable period is often exploited by fraudsters seeking to take advantage of disaster victims and those wishing to donate. “As a warning to fraudsters thinking of targeting our flood victims, such people should know that Title 18 United States Code, Section 1040, punishes those who commit fraud in connection with major disaster and emergency benefits with up to 30 years in federal prison and that we will aggressively investigate and prosecute such criminal conduct,” said Michael J. Heyman, United States Attorney for the District of Alaska.
The National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) was established through a partnership between the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and various law enforcement and regulatory agencies. Its purpose is to improve detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of disaster-related fraud and to advocate for victims.
Common schemes following disasters include fraudulent emails or social media messages, fake websites soliciting donations, phishing attempts to obtain personal or financial information, and spoofing communications to appear as if they are from legitimate organizations such as federal relief agencies or charities.
Heyman said, “Experience has shown that criminals exploit disasters for their own selfish gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating deceiving websites designed to solicit contributions. These fraudsters will engage in phishing, which involves deceiving individuals to provide their personal identifiers, credit card numbers, and bank account information. They will also engage in spoofing, which involves disguising their own phone numbers and websites to appear as being from known and trusted entities such as federal relief agencies and non-profit organizations to fraudulently obtain funds.”
He also noted: “I unfortunately expect that criminals will target flood victims and individuals wanting to make charitable contributions to those victims.” Examples of disaster-related fraud reported include fake charities using the names of well-known organizations, impersonation of officials requesting money or sensitive information, investment scams related to recovery efforts, price-gouging on necessary goods and services, and theft from abandoned properties.
To avoid becoming a victim, officials recommend donating only to known charities after direct contact, researching charities on sites like www.Give.org, CharityNavigator.org, and CharityWatch.org, avoiding clicking on unsolicited links, not assuming online charity solicitations are legitimate, avoiding cash donations, not wiring funds, and verifying the identity of anyone claiming to represent an official agency before providing information.
Victims or witnesses of disaster-related fraud are encouraged to report incidents to law enforcement through the NCDF at (866) 720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm; the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI; tips.fbi.gov; or ic3.gov.
“Michael J. Heyman
United States Attorney
District of Alaska”
