Authorities warn of how fraudsters are taking advantage of Hurricane Helene victims

It's been a week since Hurricane Helene first came ashore and ravaged areas of the southeastern U.S. And as residents who were in the disaster's path continue to deal with its aftermath, federal and state officials are warning them to watch out for another potential disaster system that often follows a storm like this one: scams.

From price gouging and fake charities to the impersonation of government officials or insurance providers, agencies say criminals are taking advantage of vulnerable storm victims through fraudulent tactics aimed at stealing their personal information — and their money.

On Wednesday, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said in a post on X that his office had so far received more than 100 price gouging complaints since the hurricane struck there and left some of the worst devastation the country has seen from the storm, notably due to flooding. When the state of emergency was triggered, Stein said laws against price gouging immediately went into effect, meaning North Carolina sellers aren't allowed to relist their goods or services at an unreasonable price as people are desperate to purchase them.

"Most stores are bending over backwards to serve their communities, but unfortunately, there's always going to be a few folks out there who take advantage of this moment and people's desperation to make a quick buck," Stein said in a video on X.

Stein had said earlier this week that the Department of Justice had received 64 complaints of price gouging in the western part of the state, which is still suffering from phone and internet connectivity issues due to the storm. This makes it harder for residents to file complaints about similar price scams, but so far, most of the reports authorities had received were about hotel, grocery and fuel prices, he said Monday.

U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina Sandra J. Hairston also warned Helene victims on Monday to watch out for fraudsters who may be soliciting donations through the use of well-known charity names. She also said that residents of hard-hit areas should be aware that individuals who claim disaster assistance will be made available once the victim provides a sum of money or personal identifiers.

To avoid becoming subject to a scam, Hairston recommended victims never donate money without researching an organization first and avoid giving donations with cash. She also said charities don't seek donations through electronic funds or wire transfers and to never assume charity solicitations posted on the internet or social media are real.

As for being contacted by impersonators, Hairston said a good rule of thumb is to terminate the form of communication and directly call the government agency or insurance company requesting your information to ensure it's truly them contacting you. And she recommends checking with your state contracting board before hiring anyone to work through the damage and to consider paying for repairs as they are done, never falling to the pressure of contractors who urge you to put down a ton of money before the work has even begun.

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Elsewhere, the Federal Emergency Management Agency warned Floridians of "thieves" who try to apply for the organization's assistance using stolen names, addresses and Social Security numbers of victims. The agency said that a FEMA inspector may come to your home if someone used your information without your knowledge to create a FEMA application, and that if occurs, the resident should inform the inspector so that the application can no longer be processed.

As FEMA agents work in areas hit by Helene, the agency said anyone aiming to ensure a FEMA representative isn't a scammer should be able to see the agent's official photo identification badge. FEMA also warned that representatives will never ask an applicant for money or help in filling out the forms.

The Federal Trade Commission echoed these recommendations in its warning against scammers, again noting that FEMA reps and government officials would not charge for their services and that clean-up crews who demand funds upfront are likely scamming you.

RELATED STORY | Biden surveys storm-ravaged Florida, Georgia, as death toll from Helene tops 200

As of Thursday, more than 200 people had died as a result of Hurricane Helene's impacts. President Joe Biden was continuing his visits with federal, state and local officials about cleanup efforts in Florida and Georgia after visiting North Carolina the day prior, where it could be weeks before basic services are restored in some areas.

On Wednesday, President Biden announced he had directed the Secretary of Defense to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to assist the North Carolina National Guard in the recovery efforts.

"These soldiers will speed up the delivery of life-saving supplies of food, water, and medicine to isolated communities in North Carolina – they have the manpower and logistical capabilities to get this vital job done, and fast," President Biden said.

The president also approved disaster declarations in states hit by Helene, which has freed up federal funds. The Biden Administration says more than $10 million in individual assistance has been provided to survivors of the storm so far.