RICHMOND, Va. -- As communities rally together to support those impacted by Hurricane Helene — and now Milton — people give help, but can be hurt in the process by a scam.
During natural disasters, there is an uptick in scams both online and over the phone.
Criminals pose as non-profit organizations on a mission to help, but in actuality, they are in the business of hurting you by taking your money.
"Anytime you see a natural disaster, you have storm chasers, and then you have the donations," said Barry Moore, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau (BBB). "We want to help, but there's always those criminals out there, and they are criminals. I use that word very straightforwardly."
"Don't be fooled by these people, and don't fall prey to them, because they're going to take your money and you have no chance to get it back," Moore said. "And they do it. They disguise it in all sorts of ways. They make you cry. They make you feel like somebody's opening the door for you to open up your purse strings. But beware before you do it."
So how do you figure out if you're being tricked?
Moore said scams commonly prey on your emotions, and that they can be found online, in email threads, on social media, or even over phone calls.
Moore also said it's a red flag if the caller asks for your debit card or your bank's ACH number. Hang up immediately, because if they obtain access to your account, you will likely not get the money back.
He emphasized the importance of verifying the legitimacy of nonprofits through www.give.org and avoiding any company that is not accredited.
Moore also said if you think you might be a victim of a scam, or to look up an existing scam, visit www.bbb.org/scamtracker.
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