The U.S. Attorney General is reminding residents to report fraud after Hurricane Michael and other disasters. The office is warning of scam artists coming out of the woodwork to exploit people at a vulnerable time.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), a national coordinating agency that improves detection, prevention, investigation and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, to serve as an advocate for victims of fraud, and to dissuade potential fraudsters.
The NCDF serves as a centralized clearinghouse for disaster fraud complaints and provides a nationwide call center that takes calls from members of the public and encourages them to report all types of disaster fraud.
Fraud victims are encouraged to contact the center’s toll free at 1-866-720-5721. The telephone line is staffed by live operators 24 hours a day, seven days a week.