After The Flood: AG Jeff Landry Warns Against Scammers

Published 10:30 am Thursday, May 20, 2021

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

BATON ROUGE, LA – Dealing with the aftermath of flooding can be overwhelming for families and businesses, but Attorney General Jeff Landry is encouraging Louisiana residents to keep their guards up and be proactive against scams in the wake of recent storms across the State.

“After a natural disaster, it is important for consumers to be aware of con artists lurking during this vulnerable time,” said Attorney General Landry. “I encourage those impacted by the recent flooding to educate themselves on fake charities, sham rental properties, and contractor fraud.”

In addition to downloading a copy of Consumer Tips for Natural Disasters, Attorney General Landry is urging residents to follow these tips in guarding themselves against flood scammers:
Protect Your Information. If you get a phone call about an insurance claim or policy, do not give out any personal information or agree to any payment until you can independently verify that the call is legitimate.
Beware Of Imposters. Remember that officials with government disaster assistance agencies do not call or text asking for financial account information and that there is no fee required to apply for or get disaster assistance from the federal government. Anyone claiming to be a federal official who asks for money is an imposter.
Donate With Diligence. Only donate to trusted, well-known charities. Beware of scammers who create fake charities during natural disasters. Always verify a charity’s legitimacy through its official website.
Attorney General Landry also urges everyone who believes they or someone they know has fallen victim to a natural disaster scam to please report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud at 866-720-5721 or https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.