Unfortunately, natural disasters present opportunities for scammers to take advantage of people when they’re at their most vulnerable. If you or someone you know suffered damage from a wildfire, share these steps with them to ensure anyone offering grant money or anyone hired to work on repairs is legitimate.
TO MAKE SURE YOUR HOME INSPECTOR IS LEGITIMATE:
Remember that the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) staff will never ask to see your banking information or charge you for disaster assistance. Do not give out your personal information.
TO MAKE SURE YOUR CONTRACTOR IS LEGITIMATE:
Deal only with licensed contractors. Ask to see physical verification of the person’s license.
TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE NOT A VICTIM — OR PERPETRATOR — OF PRICE GOUGING:
Price gouging laws prohibit raising rental housing costs by more than 10 percent following the declaration of a state of emergency. Please note that price gouging is a complicated issue — for more details, visit the California Attorney General’s website at oag.ca.gov/consumers/ pricegougingduringdisasters.
Learn more tips be sure to download, and share the attached flyer with those in wildfire zones.
