Oct 04, 2022
Photos and stories from Hurricane Ian are devastating. Fraud can occur when natural disasters and severe weather happen, and people are especially vulnerable.
Scammers target Americans' desire to help through phone calls, texts, emails and even door-to-door visits.
The Federal Trade Commission offers several ways to verify a hurricane relief charity:
- Find trustworthy, well-known charities on give.org, charitynavigator.org, charitywatch.org, and guidestar.org
- Watch out for names that closely resemble those of better-known, reputable organizations
- Choose the relief effort you wish to support and search for the charity's name online with the words "complaint," "review," "rating" or "scam"
- Be skeptical of callers thanking you for a pledge you don't remember making
- Never click on any links or open attachments in suspicious emails requesting donations or other assistance
Report scams you see at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Visit Buckeye's Security Awareness page to learn more about how to protect yourself and your business.