Be wary of flood repair scams

May 14--ELKHART -- With the opening of the FEMA Disaster Recovery Relief Center in Elkhart County last week, residents and business owners have another resource to get the help they need to continue to recover from the February flooding. They also have a locally based source to check out solicitations for repair work and requests for personal information.

As Elkhart residents work to recover from flooding earlier this year, they should also be on guard for and report suspicious activity of potential fraud, scam artists and other criminals who prey on survivors, say officials at the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

The Center is located at the Lincoln Center, 608 Oakland Ave, Elkhart, the same building that houses the Elkhart County Health Department This center is open to anyone that has received damage from the February flood earlier this year, whether the damage was previously reported or not. The center plans on being open from 9 a.m. -- 7 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice.

Residents will receive information about FEMA programs or other disaster assistance programs, and will be given the opportunity to ask questions related to individual cases. Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and other agencies will be at the center to answer questions about disaster assistance and low-interest disaster loans.

The following examples, provided by the Indiana DHS, are common post-disaster fraud practices.

n Fraudulent phone calls or home visits: Individuals falsely claiming to be from FEMA or a government agency who do not have proper photo identification.

The Disaster Survivor Assistance Team based in Elkhart will be going door-to-door throughout Elkhart County with flood recovery information, according to information provided by the local team. The DSAT team started in Goshen on Friday and will expand to the rest of the county in the following days until they have stopped at every house affected by the flood, working 7 days a week 7 a.m. -- 7 p.m. each day. If the DSAT team stops by your home, and you are not there, information on how to contact them will be left at your residence.

If someone else knocks at your door and claims to be from FEMA, ask to see the inspector's identification badge, state officials recommend. A FEMA or U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) shirt or jacket is not proof of someone's affiliation with the government. Federal employees and contractors carry official photo identification.

n Survivors will be asked to provide their Social Security number and banking information only when registering for FEMA assistance. They should never give this information to contractors. FEMA inspectors will already have applicants' nine digit registration number. FEMA inspectors will never require banking or other personal information.

If in doubt, survivors should not give out any information.

n Fake offers of federal aid: A phone or in-person solicitor promises to speed up the insurance, disaster assistance or building-permit process for a fee. Other scam artists promise a disaster grant and ask for large cash deposits or advance payments in full.

Federal workers do not solicit or accept money. FEMA and SBA staffers will never charge applicants for disaster assistance, inspections or for assisting individuals fill out applications.

n Fraudulent building contractors: Disasters also attract fraudulent contractors who offer to begin work immediately and request a cash advance payment. When hiring a contractor residents should only use licensed local contractors who are backed by reliable references and get written estimates from at least three contractors that include the cost of labor and materials.

Residents should insist that contractors carry general liability insurance and workers' compensation. If they aren't insured, you may be liable for accidents that occur on your property.

Don't pay more than half the costs of repairs upfront.

n Dishonest pleas for post-disaster donations: Dishonest solicitors may play on the emotions of disaster survivors. These solicitations may come by phone, email, letter or face-to-face.

Verify legitimate solicitations by asking for the charity's exact name, street address, phone number and website address, then phone the charity directly and confirm that the person asking for funds is an employee or volunteer. Do not pay donations with cash and always request a receipt with the charity's name, street address, and phone number.

If you suspect someone is perpetrating fraud, call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or your local police department.

If you are a resident that has been impacted, but will not be able to go to the center in person, you can also call FEMA at 1-800-621-3362, visit the FEMA website at www.FEMA.gov, or call the Elkhart County Emergency Management office at 574-891-2238.

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