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TLDR
September is National Preparedness Month, and the FTC warns that storms, floods, wildfires and tornadoes often trigger a wave of scams targeting worried families and small businesses. Fraudsters pose as FEMA agents, fake charities, or...
How it works
September is National Preparedness Month, and the FTC warns that storms, floods, wildfires and tornadoes often trigger a wave of scams targeting worried families and small businesses. Fraudsters pose as FEMA agents, fake charities, or...
Red flags
- Unsolicited calls or visits claiming you qualify for disaster relief and demanding upfront fees, bank details, or gift cards GoFundMe or charity pages with no verified registration, vague mission, or pressure to donate via wire transfer Contractors who show up door to door after a storm, demand full payment upfront, or offer to "handle" your insurance claim
What to do
- 1Verify any FEMA, SBA or charity contact by calling the agency directly using a number from its official website Pay only by traceable methods such as credit card or check, and never wire money or send gift cards to strangers Research contractors through your state licensing board and get written estimates before any work begins
Source
ftc-consumer-blog
Source reviewed by Mythos Forensic Team
https://consumer.ftc.gov/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/09/national-preparedness-month-plan-ahead-avoid-scams%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3EFAQ
Is National Preparedness Month plan ahead to avoid disaster relief scams a real scam pattern?
Yes. Treat the message, call, or payment request as suspicious until you verify it through an official channel.
What are the first warning signs?
Unsolicited calls or visits claiming you qualify for disaster relief and demanding upfront fees, bank details, or gift cards GoFundMe or charity pages with no verified registration, vague mission, or pressure to donate via wire transfer Contractors who show up door to door after a storm, demand full payment upfront, or offer to "handle" your insurance claim
What should I do first?
Verify any FEMA, SBA or charity contact by calling the agency directly using a number from its official website Pay only by traceable methods such as credit card or check, and never wire money or send gift cards to strangers Research contractors through your state licensing board and get written estimates before any work begins
Can LegalAudit check my case?
Yes. Start a free chat and paste the message, link, sender, or payment details for triage.