NEW YORK (AP) — The devastation of Hurricanes Milton and Helene have opened the floodgates for people seeking disaster relief. Along with that comes the danger of fraud.
The Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are all warning consumers to be wary of identity theft, price gouging and other fraud.
Small business owners should stay alert too and recognize that the scammers can strike both online and in person.
“We’ve seen an uptick in cyberattacks during disasters,” said Jennifer Butler, partner in disaster recovery at global advisory firm EisnerAmper. “Small businesses should really pay attention to that, really be aware of scams, of phishing attempts or potential cyberattacks on their systems. Because this is the time when, you know, those bad actors are going to come after small businesses.”
Because small businesses might have a variety of employees and contractors coming and going after a disaster as they seek to mitigate damage and reopen, owners should be vigilant about verifying the identity of anyone they’re working with.