“On Saturday, President Trump declared a disaster in three Oklahoma counties affected by severe weather and flooding. The announcement is followed by today’s visit from Vice President Pence, who will view damage affecting Oklahoma residents. I am grateful for the Administration’s concern and swift action taken to address recovery efforts that many Oklahomans face in the coming months," said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Oklahomans are known for persevering through adversity and uniting to help one another in the aftermath of natural disasters. That being said, I also want to caution the public about unscrupulous individuals and organizations who would use these tragic events to take advantage of those impacted. Be wary of potential price gouging, individuals posing as contractors and repairmen, and potential fraudulent online donation sites that seek to steal your money, account numbers, and personal identifying information. If you are victimized by a scam or encounter suspicious activity, I strongly encourage you to report the suspicious criminal behavior to law enforcement as well as authorities at the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud at 1-866-720-5721. Through the NCDF, and in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, we are working to keep Oklahomans from becoming victims of these schemes."
Potential examples of illegal activity include: Impersonation of federal law enforcement officials; Identity theft; fraudulent submission of claims to insurance companies and the federal government; fraudulent activity related to solicitations for donations and charitable giving; fraudulent activity related to individuals and organizations promising high investment returns from profits from recovery and cleanup efforts; price gouging; contractor Fraud; debris removal fraud; theft, looting, and other violent crime.
In 2005, the Department of Justice along with various law enforcement and regulatory agencies partnered to form the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF). The agency was formed to further the detection, prevention, investigation and prosecution of disaster fraud. Federal prosecutors charged more than 1,300 disaster fraud cases relating to Hurricane Katrina alone, and since 2005, the NCDF has received over 95,000 disaster fraud complaints. Learn more about NCDF and available resources here.
You may also find resources at the following websites: https://www.fema.gov/disaster-fraud and http://www.oag.ok.gov/consumer-protection
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
