Standing strong after the storm: Natural disasters fraud prevention

Communities face enormous challenges after a natural disaster. Scammers often target Veterans and their families when they’re most overwhelmed. They may pose as insurance adjusters, contractors, landlords or Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representatives to steal your money, personal information or insurance benefits.

Help protect yourself and your family from scammers

If you are contacted by someone alleging to be an insurance adjuster or another entity requesting your personal financial information, always request official identification and verify licensing with your state insurance or licensing board. Legitimate adjusters and contractors will not ask for cash, wire transfers or gift cards. Avoid signing contracts or forms before speaking directly with your insurer and be cautious of anyone who arrives without an appointment. FEMA and government workers may request some information to verify your identity and eligibility, but they will never ask for unnecessary financial details or payment to process your claim.

Price gouging during disaster recovery

Price gouging—raising prices for essential goods or services during an emergency—is illegal in most states once an emergency is declared. It commonly affects food, water, fuel, medical supplies, temporary shelter and emergency repairs. Price gouging often begins even before a storm hits. Report any prices more than 10 percent above pre‑emergency levels, or new items marked up more than 50 percent above cost. Provide as much detail as possible—names, addresses, screenshots, receipts, photos and a description of the suspicious behavior. Through reporting, investigators respond quickly and prevent further harm to affected communities.

Rental and housing scams after disasters

Displaced residents who urgently need housing are often targeted by scammers with fake rental listings or demands for upfront payments. Be wary of listings with unusually low prices, unavailable landlords or requests for money before viewing the property. Always verify the address, avoid high‑pressure tactics to “act now,” and never use wire transfers, cryptocurrency or gift cards for payments.

How to report disaster‑related scams

If you encounter fraudulent adjusters, FEMA impersonators, price gouging or rental scams, report them quickly to help protect others.

• Report insurance‑related scams to your state insurance department or state Attorney General.
• Report FEMA impersonation or disaster‑related fraud to the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-323-8603 or online at DHS Hotline.
• Report price gouging to your state Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov or with the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division.
• Report rental or housing scams to local law enforcement, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General Hotline and the listing platform.
• If personal information has been compromised, visit identitytheft.gov for recovery guidance.

If a Veteran or other VA beneficiary is missing a VA benefits payment, identifies a discrepancy in payments, or finds suspicious activity with their direct deposit account, they should contact VA immediately at 800-827-1000. Veterans who suspect they have experienced fraud can find out more and report to the appropriate agency at VSAFE.gov or by calling (833) 38V-SAFE (8-7233).

Natural disasters may be unavoidable, but fraud and exploitation are not. By staying alert, reporting suspicious activity and using trusted resources, Veterans and communities can better protect themselves and focus on rebuilding with confidence and safety.