Post-disaster scam artists on the prowl

 Have you ever turned on the light in a dark basement and shuddered as cockroaches scurried away? I get that same sense of revulsion whenever I hear about unscrupulous swindlers taking advantage of the victims of natural and manmade disasters.

The Better Business Bureau has dubbed these human cockroaches “Storm Chasers” because they creep out of the woodwork after every major storm or disaster. In fact, because fraud was so widespread after Hurricane Katrina, the Department of Justice created the National Center for Disaster Fraud, a central information clearinghouse for more than 20 federal agencies where people can report suspected fraudulent activities tied to disasters of all types.

One common scam is where supposed repair workers blitz impacted neighborhoods, hoping to ensnare frazzled homeowners. Their typical line is, “We’re really slammed but with a cash deposit you can ensure a spot on our busy schedule.” Or, they’ll scare people into thinking their home is dangerously unsafe, sometimes actually creating damage during their “inspection.”

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