Feds warn of Hurricane Harvey robocall scams

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a warning about flood insurance scams surfacing in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. 

The FTC cited reports from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) saying homeowners and renters in areas affected by Harvey, which made landfall in Texas as a Category 4 hurricane and has since been downgraded to a tropical depression, have received robocalls telling them their flood premiums are past due and that they should pay immediately. 

The commission said if individuals receive similar calls, they should contact their flood insurance agent or the agent who handles their homeowner or rental insurance to ask about flood insurance policies.

{mosads}The president of FEMA’s flood insurance program similarly warned of potential scams on Thursday, saying people should only rely on information from trusted sources, including FEMA officials. 

FEMA’s website also advises people who receive these robocalls to immediately hang up, and contact their insurance provider. 

The robocall scams follow reports that 325,000 people have registered for assistance from FEMA, which has already paid out $57 million via electronic transfers.

Other scams continue to plague those affected by Harvey. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have warned Houston-area residents about people impersonating federal homeland security agents.

Individuals looking to donate in the wake of the hurricane are also being urged to look out for potential scams. 

The IRS has urged those looking to donate to help Harvey victims to follow their website’s guidelines by avoiding making cash donations and giving only to recognized charities.