Eleven years after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on Aug. 23, 2005, residents of Louisiana are dealing with severe flooding from torrential downpours.
As noted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, recovery in the area continues with combined efforts of businesses, voluntary organizations, government agencies and ordinary citizens.
Although there are many who just want to help, there are also criminals who target apparently wealthy survivors and offer their fraudulent services. In one neighborhood, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, there were "concerned citizens" from other parts of the city with pickup trucks who offered to help homeowners clean up, but they were actually looters, looking for anything they could get their hands on that wasn't too badly damaged.
FEMA published these suggestions primarily for the Louisiana residents who were trying to put their lives back together, but the tips are good advice for anyone who is in the process of rebuilding after a disaster, whether natural or manmade.
The advice also will come in handy for Hawaii residents facing Tropical Storm Madeline and East Coast residents likely to be affected by Tropical Storm Hermine, which is projected to become the first hurricane to hit Florida since 2005.
FEMA's tips also provide good information that insurance agents and brokers can share with clients as they process claims.
Read on to find out six ways flood survivors can avoid being ripped off:
Government employees, as well as utility company employees, should all have identification to show you, and they should never refuse to do so. (Photo: iStock)
1. Know who you're dealing with
How can survivors protect themselves? First by being cautious and remembering some basic security and safety rules, FEMA says. You wouldn't offer personal financial information over the phone under normal circumstances, so don't do it now.
Never be shy about asking for identification from everyone who knocks on your door or who approaches you in a parking lot. Government workers and utility company employees never ask for a fee or payment, and they always wear an official photo ID. If you have any concerns you can call the agency or utility and confirm that the employee really works for them.
FEMA inspector Bruce Grass, right, talks with homeowner Gidget Boutah on Sept. 14, 2011, in West Lyndonville, Vt. Grass reported the damage so FEMA could determine whether Boutah qualified for individual assistance aid available to disaster victims in Vermont. (Photo: Toby Talbot/AP Photo)
2. Understand what FEMA inspectors do
Homeowners and registered FEMA applicants should watch out for housing inspectors claiming to represent FEMA or the U.S. Small Business Administration. Inspectors already have each applicant's nine-digit registration number, and a FEMA inspector won't ask for this number.
FEMA inspectors never require banking or other personal information. The job of FEMA housing inspectors is only to verify damage. Inspectors don't hire or endorse specific contractors to fix homes or recommend repairs. Most important, they don't determine eligibility for assistance.
Watch out for middlemen who promise you will receive disaster grants or money, especially if they ask for an upfront payment.
As part of the rebuilding process, your municipal building department may require permits and inspections. (Photo: Shutterstock)
3. Make sure the contractor is legit
Many survivors have been living in damaged homes or in hotels and motels or other emergency accommodation while their primary residences are being repaired and rebuilt.
If you've never had to find a contractor, here are some consumer safety tips to keep in mind:
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- Verify the license or registration number with your state's contractor licensing board.
- Get three written estimates for repair work. Then check credentials and contact your local Better Business Bureau or chamber of commerce to learn about any complaints against the contractor or business.
- Before work begins, make sure you get a written contract detailing all the work to be performed, the costs, a projected completion date, and how to negotiate changes and settle disputes.
- Determine how the contractor will bill for unexpected repairs, for example, bad wiring uncovered when walls are torn down that has to be brought up to code.
- Ask for copies of insurance certificates and note the effective dates of coverage. Also confirm that all subcontractors are covered by workers' compensation and liability insurance.
- Confirm that the contractor will apply for any required permits with the local building department, and that the schedule allows time for inspections to be completed.
Keep a record of everything related to your rebuilding project. Put one set of documents in a binder in your home, and store a set in the cloud. (Photo: iStock)
4. Document contractor information
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry encourages you to maintain a record of your contractor's information in case you need to follow up with a state licensing board or you need to find the contractor after the job is done.
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- Take a picture of your contractor and employees who are working on your job, any vehicles the contractor or employees use, and the license plate.
- Take a picture of the contractor's business card and driver's license.
- Photograph or scan the current contracting license and insurance certificate.
- Photograph or scan the contract made with contractor.
- Photograph or scan all checks and money orders made as payments to the contractor.
- Preserve all these photographs by emailing them to yourself and a trusted companion and by saving them in a cloud-based application.
If you suspect fraud, contact local law enforcement sooner rather than later. (Photo: iStock)
5. Report suspected fraud promptly
There is no fee to apply for FEMA disaster assistance or to receive it, so beware of anyone who wants to charge you a fee. The only ways to register for FEMA help are to:
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- Call 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585).
- Visit www.disasterassistance.gov or speak to a FEMA employee at a Discovery Recovery Center.
Landry reminds flood survivors who might suspect anyone — an inspector, disaster survivor or someone posing as one of these — of fraudulent activities, to call the FEMA toll-free Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or local law enforcement officials.
Volunteer Randy Fowler pushes a basket full of donated goods being given to flood victims as part of the emergency aid operations of Healing Place Church in Denham Springs, La., Aug. 24. Volunteers have served thousands of free meals and passed out carloads of clothes, food, cleaning supplies and other essentials. (Photo: Max Becherer/AP Photo)
6. Beware of charity scams
Remember that it's easy to set up a phony website that looks legitimate, such as a GoFundMe site, but that isn't really for a charitable purpose.
Landry notes that charity scams take many forms, including emails containing links or attachments that direct users to phishing or malware-infected websites. Donation requests from fraudulent charitable organizations commonly appear after major natural disasters.
The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team encourages users to take basic computer security measures to protect themselves:
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- Review the Federal Trade Commission warning and its information on charity scams.
- Check this Better Business Bureau list for helping Louisiana flood victims before making any donations to any organization that claims to be raising funds for flood relief.
- Do not follow unsolicited web links or attachments in email messages.
- Keep antivirus and other computer software up-to-date, including antivirus software on your smartphone and tablet.
- Verify the legitimacy of any email solicitation by contacting the organization directly through a trusted contact number. You can find trusted contact information for many charities on the BBB's National Charity Report Index.
Related: Louisiana deals with flooding aftermath; begins long road to recovery [photos]
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