TL;DR: Disaster recovery means juggling insurance and repairs with little time to vet contractors. Verify a contractor's license and insurance before paying anything upfront, and donate to relief only through established, verifiable charities.
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Disaster recovery means juggling insurance and repairs with little time to vet contractors.
Common Tactics Used
Unlicensed contractors demand large upfront payments and disappear, and fake charity or disaster-relief collectors solicit donations claiming to help victims directly.
How to Protect Against It
Verify a contractor's license and insurance before paying anything upfront, and donate to relief only through established, verifiable charities.
What Family and Friends Can Do
Sudden secrecy about money, unusual withdrawals, or a new online relationship that stays undisclosed are all worth a calm, judgment-free conversation. The earlier a scam is caught, the more can usually be recovered.
If this looks similar to something else you've seen, it's worth reading Scams Targeting First-Generation College Students.
This pattern shows up elsewhere too — see Scams Targeting First-Time Investors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are they specifically targeted?
Disaster recovery means juggling insurance and repairs with little time to vet contractors.
What tactics do scammers use?
Unlicensed contractors demand large upfront payments and disappear, and fake charity or disaster-relief collectors solicit donations claiming to help victims directly.
How can they protect themselves?
Verify a contractor's license and insurance before paying anything upfront, and donate to relief only through established, verifiable charities.
What should family or friends watch for?
Sudden secrecy about money or new online relationships, unusual withdrawals or wire transfers, and reluctance to discuss a new "opportunity" or contact in detail are all worth a gentle, non-judgmental conversation.
What should I do if I think this has already happened?
Stop all contact and payments immediately, report it to the appropriate authority, and contact the bank or payment provider involved to see what can be recovered.