Beware of Identity Thieves
Release Date: April 14, 2006
Release Number: 1634-014
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JACKSON, TENN. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Tennessee state authorities are warning Tennessee residents against a particular kind of fraud that always seems to follow in the wake of a major disaster - identity theft.
People living in the disaster area may receive a letter, a phone call, or an email from someone posing as a state or federal official. They claim that they are holding a disaster assistance grant or loan for the applicant, and that all they need is the person's bank account number, social security number, or other personal information to complete the processing. In some cases, they may even ask for a "processing fee" up front.
A twist on the same scheme is for someone pretending to work for a volunteer organization to offer to help fill out an application for disaster assistance. The real object, of course, is to steal the victim's banking information.
"These scam artists are trying to rip off people who have already suffered catastrophic losses as a result of these tornadoes," says Louis Friedmann, the Deputy State Coordinating Officer for this disaster. "That's when people are the most vulnerable," Friedmann adds, "and we don't want them to become victims twice."
"Don't be fooled by come-ons like these!" warns Michael Karl, the federal official in charge of disaster recovery operations for Tennessee. "Neither FEMA nor the state will ever call you asking for that information -- or for a fee of any kind," he explained. "The only time FEMA collects banking information is when the applicant first registers for assistance and requests direct deposit for aid funds. But again, that occurs only when the applicant calls FEMA, not the other way around."
When in doubt, call FEMA's help line at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). That way, you know whom you're talking to.
Last Modified: Monday, 17-Apr-2006 07:29:25