Scam artists typically appear in the days and weeks after extreme weather conditions or a natural disaster.
People should be on the alert for an increase in scams after Tropical Storm Hilary blew across parts of Mexico late last week, and Southern California last Sunday, the Federal Trade Commission warned this week.
The most common kind of fraud is “unlicensed appraisal” — people who knock on doors to provide assessment and repair services after a storm or hurricane, said Arkady Bukh, an attorney specializing in insurance fraud in New York City. Other common frauds involve scammers pretending to be working for FEMA or the U.S. Small Business Administration. Fake charities also emerge following disasters. Scammers may create phony websites designed to solicit contributions that they claim will go to survivors and use organization names that resemble those of reputable charities.
It was the first tropical storm to make landfall in Southern California in 84 years. While government officials from Los Angeles said it didn’t cause any known fatalities or injuries, there were reports of fallen trees, downed power lines and flooded roads.
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