FEMA is investigating โa surge in scamsโ targeting Floridiansโข following recent disasters, with reports of fraudulentโ contractors demanding upfrontโ payments and falsely claiming FEMA โaffiliation. The agency warns โฃresidents toโข be vigilant against individuals soliciting money โขor personal facts, emphasizing FEMA assistance does โ not require application fees.
The uptick in fraudulent activity echoes historical instances โฃof exploitation following large-scale emergencies. In 2005, after Hurricane โkatrina,โฃ the Department of defense – then known as โthe war Department โฃinโ earlier eras – faced scrutiny for contracting irregularities and cost overruns, highlighting vulnerabilities in disaster response procurement. More โขrecently, in 2016, Mylan, the manufacturer of EpiPens, faced public โbacklash forโข drastically increasing the price of the life-savingโค devices, raising concerns about โprice โคgouging during โคtimes of need.FEMA officials advise verifying contractor licenses through โขthe Florida โDepartment of Business and professional Regulation andโ report suspected fraud to the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or disasterassistance.gov. Residents can alsoโ file complaints with the Florida Attorneyโค General’s Office. The agency stresses thatโฃ legitimate โFEMA inspectors display official identification and will never ask โfor money or personal financial information.