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Hurricanes create ideal conditions for scammers: people need urgent information, survivors are under pressure, and donors want to help quickly. CISA warned about hurricane-related phishing and malicious messages on September 25, 2024, then published broader post-disaster guidance on October 8. Separately, the FTC, DOJ and CFPB warned in October 2024 about disaster fraud, impersonation, fake recovery businesses, charity scams and price gouging.
The safest rule is simple: do not act on an unsolicited disaster-related request. Reach the agency, charity, insurer, bank or contractor independently through a verified website or phone number.
What the hurricane scam warnings cover
Disaster scams are not limited to email. CISA identified risks involving emails, texts, social-media posts, links, attachments and solicitations. The FTC-led warning also covered phone calls, door-to-door approaches, contractors, fake charities and price gouging.
Hurricane phishing emails and texts
A scammer may use a storm name, evacuation notice, shelter update, insurance claim, relief application, emergency grant or donation appeal as bait. The message may link to a fake government, charity, insurance, banking or payment page, or include an attachment containing malware.
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Some messages request passwords, Social Security numbers, bank details or “identity verification.” Others use a countdown or threat—such as a warning that assistance will expire—to make you act before checking. CISA’s September 2024 warning cautions against unsolicited links and attachments, even when a message appears to come from a trusted source.
Fake charities and crowdfunding appeals
Fraudsters copy the names, logos and language of established relief organizations. They may create a new-looking charity, social-media fundraiser or crowdfunding page, or call claiming that you previously promised to donate.
Be especially cautious when someone demands payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, cash or wire transfer. A payment app is not automatically fraudulent, but an urgent request to send money to an unverified recipient is a major warning sign. Text-to-donate numbers should be confirmed on the charity’s own website—not trusted merely because they appear in a text or social post.
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FEMA and government impersonation
Scammers may pose as FEMA representatives, local emergency officials, insurance adjusters, inspectors or relief-program administrators. They can use spoofed caller ID, official-looking badges and personal information gathered from public records or data breaches.
According to FTC guidance, FEMA does not charge an application fee for disaster assistance. Anyone demanding money to help you qualify for FEMA relief is trying to scam you. Verify disaster assistance through the official agency website or a number you find independently.
Fake contractors, cleanup crews and rentals
After a storm, victims may encounter unlicensed cleanup crews, fake roofers, bogus debris-removal companies and contractors who demand full payment before starting. Some inflate prices, never complete the work, seek insurance checks or request copies of personal documents.
Displaced residents may also be targeted by fake rental listings. Do not send a deposit for a property you cannot independently verify, and do not surrender an insurance check or sign documents under pressure.
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Price gouging and emergency-payment fraud
Some businesses or individuals may charge excessive prices for lodging, food, fuel or other essentials during evacuation and recovery. Whether a price violates the law depends on state rules and the circumstances. Save receipts, screenshots and advertisements, then contact your state attorney general or consumer-protection office for the applicable complaint process.
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Red flags that should stop you
- The message creates extreme urgency or threatens to cancel assistance.
- It asks for a password, Social Security number, bank information or an upfront fee.
- A link leads to a domain that does not match the organization’s known official website.
- An unexpected attachment is included.
- The sender insists on gift cards, cryptocurrency, cash, wire transfer or an unverified payment-app recipient.
- The charity has a copycat name, little history or no independently verifiable contact information.
- It promises guaranteed FEMA approval, immediate insurance payment or instant housing.
- A caller refuses to provide written details or pressures you to sign immediately.
- A contractor asks for an insurance check, claim number or identity documents before you have verified the business.
- A familiar logo, display name or caller ID conflicts with the actual sender address or phone number.
Spelling mistakes and generic greetings can be clues, but polished grammar does not make a message safe. A scammer may also know your name, address or storm-damage details.
How to verify a charity before donating
- Search for the organization independently. Do not use the link or phone number in the solicitation.
- Confirm its legal name, official website, contact information and disaster-relief track record.
- Compare it with charity-evaluation resources such as BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, CharityWatch and Candid.
- Search the name with terms such as “complaint,” “review,” “rating” and “scam.”
- Confirm any text-to-donate number on the organization’s independently reached website.
- Check whether the charity or fundraiser must be registered in the relevant state.
- Keep the receipt and watch for unauthorized or recurring charges.
A charity-rating service can help evaluate an organization, but it does not prove that a particular email, fundraiser or payment request is authentic. Verify the solicitation channel separately. A .org address also is not proof of legitimacy.
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- Do not click links or open attachments.
- Do not reply and do not call a number supplied in the message.
- Find the organization’s official website by typing the address yourself or using a known bookmark.
- Use the agency or charity’s published phone number to verify the request.
- If the message concerns an account, sign in through the normal official app or website.
- Use your email provider’s phishing-reporting option.
- Preserve the message, headers, screenshots and related numbers if you may need to report it; then delete or quarantine it.
A suspicious message is not automatically proof that your account was hacked. It may be a mass phishing attempt. However, if you clicked, downloaded a file or entered information, take the recovery steps below.
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If you already clicked, paid or shared information
If you entered a password
- Change it immediately through the legitimate website or app.
- Change it anywhere else you reused it.
- Turn on multifactor authentication.
- Review recovery email addresses, phone numbers, active sessions and email-forwarding rules.
- Contact the service through its official support channel.
If you exposed financial information or paid
- Contact your bank, card issuer or payment provider immediately.
- Freeze or replace compromised cards and accounts.
- Ask whether the transaction can be canceled or disputed; speed matters, especially for wires, payment apps, gift cards and cryptocurrency.
- Monitor statements and credit reports for unauthorized activity.
- Save receipts, wallet addresses, phone numbers, emails, screenshots and transaction IDs.
Cash, cryptocurrency, gift cards and wire transfers can be difficult to recover. A credit card may offer stronger dispute protections, but no payment method is risk-free.
If you opened an attachment or downloaded a file
- Disconnect the device from the network if you suspect it is compromised.
- Stop entering passwords on that device.
- Update security software and run a scan.
- Get professional IT help for a work device or one containing sensitive information.
- Notify your employer’s security team if the device is managed by an organization.
Where to report disaster fraud
- FTC ReportFraud.gov for consumer fraud, impersonation and charity scams.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center for internet-enabled crime.
- IdentityTheft.gov for identity-theft recovery steps.
- Your state attorney general or consumer-protection office for suspected price gouging or contractor violations.
- FEMA or the relevant disaster agency when the fraud involves a disaster-assistance application.
- Local police when appropriate, particularly for in-person fraud, threats or substantial losses.
Report even if you are embarrassed or unsure whether the scammer will be identified. Preserve evidence before blocking the sender or closing an account.
A safer hurricane-response checklist
- Use official government websites and apps for evacuation, shelter and assistance information.
- Reach charities through independently verified websites.
- Never pay a fee to apply for FEMA assistance.
- Get written contractor estimates and check licenses, insurance and references.
- Do not sign over an insurance check or share unnecessary identity documents.
- Prefer a credit card or check for donations when appropriate, while still verifying the recipient.
- Use unique passwords and multifactor authentication for email, banking and social accounts.
- Be skeptical of a second caller offering to recover money lost in the first scam.
The 2024 CISA and FTC-related warnings remain useful as a framework for hurricanes and other natural disasters, but they are separate agency advisories—not one single joint CISA–FTC announcement. Current evacuation, relief and assistance details should always be confirmed through the responsible agency’s current official channels.
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