Fraudsters take advantage when a disaster strikes. The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) urges everyone to stay on guard as our state recovers from Hurricane Helene. Scammers will reach out by phone, email, text, social media and even in-person in their efforts to take advantage of you. Bottom line to avoid a scam during this trying time: Don’t give any personal or financial information to a cold caller. Keep these additional tips in mind to protect your personal information and money:
• Watch for imposters. Some scammers will act as government agencies, like FEMA or SCEMD, to seem more official. Some pose as utility or insurance companies. Ask for identification. Cut off contact with someone who is asking for personal identifying information like your Social Security number or money. When possible, call the agency directly to ask for help or more information.Remember: You never have to pay for government disaster relief or for your power to be restored post-disaster.
• Research a charity before you give. Be cautious of groups that approach you. Do not assume a charity is legitimate based on its name; some fake charities use names that sound or look like those of well-known organizations. Visit the SC Secretary of State’s Office at www.sos.sc.gov to search a charity by name or call 1 (888) CHARITI (242-7484).
• Report disaster scams. If you encounter a disaster scam, you can report it to SCDCA by visiting the Scams webpage or calling 1 (844) TELL-DCA (835-5322) (toll-free with SC number).
For more tips on how to protect yourself from disaster scams checkout SCDCA’s Beware of Disaster Scams (PDF) flyer. SCDCA’s Recovering from a Disaster (PDF) can also help you decide where to begin in the recovery process. For a hard copy, call SCDCA at 803-734-4200 or click here. Both publications are also available at consumer.sc.gov.
To help South Carolinians during this stressful time, SCDCA will hold two free webinars. “Recovering from a Disaster” Wednesday, October 2 at 10:30 AM and “Common Disaster Scams” on Wednesday, October 9 at 10:30 AM. Register to watch/listen from any computer or smartphone by clicking the title of each webinar.
