EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The community is being warned about fraudsters seeking to profit off the catastrophic and deadly flooding in Texas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas said on Monday, July 7, in a news release.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said millions of people fall victims to scams every year. Natural disasters and severe weather can create opportunities for fraud, occurring at a time when people may be especially vulnerable, or targeting charitable intentions.
Scammers are known to carry out a variety of fraud schemes, targeting those in the affected communities, according to the news release.
These methods include using phone, text, mail, email, and even going door to door to target residents impacted by damaging storms, the U.S. Attorney’s Office added.
If you think you may have been preyed upon, submit a report to the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud at 866-720-5721 or here.
Learn how you can donate safely and avoid scams at the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Advice webpage.
You can also report disaster related complaints to your local FBI field office by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
For more information on common charity and disaster fraud schemes, visit here.
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