BILOXI, Miss. – After a disaster, fraud can be a problem.
Sometimes, survivors who try to register with FEMA discover that someone has already registered using their name. Scammers may contact survivors who have not registered with FEMA and try to extract money or information. In these cases, it is likely the survivor’s personal data has been compromised.
FEMA reminds survivors:
- FEMA and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) never charge for registration, home inspections, grants, disaster-loan applications or anything else.
- If you have registered and want to verify any correspondence you received from FEMA, call 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585).
- If you suspect fraud, call the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office at 601-359-3680 or report it your local police department.
FEMA also recommends you monitor your credit report for any accounts or changes you do not recognize. If you discover someone is using your information, you will need to take additional steps, including filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission through its website: IdentityTheft.gov.
For an accessible video on fraud, go online to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=EVqS709Gj_U&feature=youtu.be
For more information about Hurricane Zeta recovery in Mississippi, visit the FEMA disaster webpage at https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4576 or the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency webpage at https://www.msema.org/zeta/.