At Cogent, we believe banking is personal. Our name means “come together” and we are committed to the communities we serve. Since Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida on September 28th, we have supported organizations that provide critical relief to Floridians impacted by the hurricane. We know that many people from within the Sunshine State and across the country also want to help. Unfortunately, scammers see tragedy as opportunity, hoping to siphon off some well-intentioned donations. Therefore, it’s important to know how to spot the scams that often follow natural disasters. In this article, we’ll share some tips on natural disaster scams to help you make sure your hard-earned money goes to help those who need it most.

Hurricane Ian’s Impact

As of this writing, Hurricane Ian is expected to become one of the most consequential hurricanes in recent memory. More than 100 people have died, with most of the death toll coming from Florida, particularly Lee County. The financial cost is estimated at $60 billion plus in Florida alone, second only to the cost of the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Unfortunately, only 18% of homes in Florida have flood insurance, meaning that some homeowners will have to reach into their own pockets to rebuild in the wake of Ian.

Before you make a donation to help Hurricane Ian’s victims, learn how to tell a reputable charity from a scam. 

How To Avoid Charity Scams

Hurricane disaster scams are part of every hurricane season. You may receive solicitations for donations via phone call, text message, or email. Hurricane disaster relief fraud can also circulate on social media. Protect yourself from fraud by following these tips:

• Donate to charities you know and trust, especially those with a proven record of dealing with disasters such as The Red Cross. Charity Navigator has a list of highly-rated non-profit organizations responding to Hurricane Ian.
• Keep a record of your charitable donations. Review your checking account statements to make sure you were only charged the amount you intended to donate and on a one-time, not recurring basis (unless you set up a recurring donation).
• Think before you click on a donation link online. Where did the message or post come from? What is the full URL? Who or what organization is the recipient of your donation? Remember that crowd-funding websites such as GoFundMe cannot always verify individual requests hosted on their site.
• Look at the organization’s social media pages, especially Twitter, to see photos and descriptions of their hurricane relief efforts.
• If you’re not sure, check the name of the organization on give.org, charitywatch.org, or charitynavigator.org. You will be able to see if the charity is legitimate and how efficiently your funds will be used.

6 Reputable Organizations Helping With Hurricane Ian

If you’re looking for ideas of where to donate to disaster relief, here’s a list of nationally recognized charities currently working with the people and communities impacted by Ian. 

• The Red Cross: Red Cross disaster workers are on the ground in Florida providing food, shelter, first aid, and general support to people displaced by the hurricane. You can read more about their efforts on their Twitter page. 
• Salvation Army: They are also in Florida providing critical aid, shelter, food, and support to Hurricane survivors. You can read more about their efforts on their Twitter page. 
• United Way of Florida: Donate to UWOF’s Disaster Fund to help multiple communities or a specific need or location. They provide funds for food and essential supplies; volunteers are also available to help with cleanup tasks such as small tree removal, tarping, muck-out, and debris hauling.
• Save the Children: This organization is working to meet the critical needs of children affected by Hurricane Ian. They provide supplies, safe play areas in evacuation shelters, and help childcare centers and preschools reopen. You can donate specifically to Save the Children’s 2022 Hurricane Ian Relief Fund.
• World Central Kitchen: WCK is providing free meals in communities impacted by Hurricane Ian. You can learn more about their work on their Twitter page. 
• The Florida Disaster Fund: This is the State of Florida’s official private fund for assisting Floridians in the wake of emergencies and disasters. 

Is it a charity scam? Here’s what to look for.

Scammers can linger after a natural disaster, so stay vigilant for the next several months to avoid Hurricane Ian relief scams. While these fraud attempts may be more prevalent right now, they will likely continue for the remainder of the year. Here are a few ways to keep an eye out for scams:

• Don’t let anyone rush or pressure you into making a donation. This is a common scammer tactic.
• Some scammers use names that sound a lot like the names of real charities. This is one  reason why it pays to do your research before giving.
• Be wary of someone who makes a lot of vague and sentimental claims, but doesn’t give specifics as to how your donation will be used.
• Bogus organizations may claim that your donation is tax-deductible when it is not.
• Guaranteeing sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a donation is not only a scam, but also illegal.

Is it disaster fraud? Here’s what to look for.

In addition to charity fraudsters preying on Americans’ generosity, Florida homeowners and residents directly impacted by the hurricane need to watch out for these kinds of scams: 

• Clean-up and repair scams: Unlicensed contractors and scammers go door to door in storm-damaged areas with the promise of quick repairs, clean-up, or debris removal. Before hiring someone to work on your house, get more than one estimate, ask for proof of licensing, read the contract carefully, and don’t pay in full until the job is done.
• Imposter scams: Scammers may pretend to be government officials, safety inspectors, or utility workers. Always ask for ID and remember that government employees and utility companies would not charge money for work done on your property.
• FEMA scams: FEMA does not charge application fees or any other fees to apply for relief funds or services. Don’t give anyone money to help you apply for FEMA help.
• Job scams: If you’re out of work in the aftermath of the hurricane, steer clear of job postings that seem to good to be true. Legitimate employers will not ask you to pay money to apply or start a new job.
• Rental Scams: If the hurricane completely destroyed your home, you may be looking for a new place to live. While reputable landlords may charge a small application fee to cover the cost of running a credit check, you shouldn’t give anyone money for a security deposit or rent until you’ve seen the rental unit and signed a lease. 

Learn To Spot Phishing Emails

Finally, you can protect yourself by learning to identify phishing emails. After all, this is still the most common method of scamming people. Phishing, a play on the word fishing, refers to emails and other messages designed to trick the reader into believing it is a legitimate message. Emails, in particular, can be convincingly designed with official-looking logos that might trick you into thinking the message comes from a government agency, financial institution, or well-known company.

• Don’t click on links or attachments from senders that you don’t recognize or didn’t request.
• Don’t provide sensitive personal information such as login credentials or account numbers over email.
• Watch for email senders that use suspicious or misleading domain names.
• Inspect URLs carefully to make sure they’re legitimate and not imposter sites.
• Don’t try to open any shared document that you’re not expecting to receive.
• Be especially cautious when opening attachments or clicking links if you receive an email containing a warning banner indicating that it originated from an external source.
• Punctuation, spelling, and grammatical errors are a red flag–professional communications are usually well-written without typos.

Questions? Contact us!

At Cogent Bank, we are dedicated to Moving You Forward. If you have questions about your account, Florida disaster relief scams, or anything else, call us to set up an appointment or reach out to your Relationship Manager. We also invite you to follow our blog for the latest happenings and knowledge from our team.

The information contained herein is for informational/educational purposes only.  The views and opinions expressed in this document may be those of the individuals and may not necessarily reflect those of Cogent Bancorp and its subsidiaries and affiliates, or the entities they may represent. Content contained herein may be used in connection with the advertising and/or marketing of products offered by Cogent Bank or Cogent Private Wealth. The material is not intended to provide or substitute for legal, tax, or financial advice or to indicate the availability or suitability of any Cogent Bank product or service. You should consult with a legal, financial, tax, or other appropriate professional(s) for your specific needs and/or objectives before making any decisions.