Beware of Hurricane Helene relief scams, officials warn

Related video: Utahns, LDS church providing relief from Hurricane Helene, getting ready for Milton

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — In the wake of Hurricane Helene , thousands of people have responded to assist with recovery efforts — but officials are now warning of hurricane-related fraud schemes.

At least 230 people have been killed by the storm, which made landfall on Sept. 26 and caused a state of emergency to be declared in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Of the efforts after the storm, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said the response includes members of the military, FEMA, and volunteers from the public.

On Oct. 8, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall expressed her gratitude via social media to firefighters from Utah who were deployed to assist recovery efforts in Florida after both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton .

For those who are looking for other ways to help victims of Hurricane Helene or other natural disasters, U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins is urging you to be cautious and be aware of fraud attempts before sending any money.

“As we have seen in the wake of previous national disasters, fraudsters will target victims of the storm along with citizens across the country who want to do what they can to assist individuals affected by the storm,” Higgins warned in a press release on Monday.

Some of the methods scams and solicitations may manifest themselves include social media, phone calls, texts, flyers, door-to-door collections, and more, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.

“The public should exercise diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to assist those affected by Hurricane Helene,” the release said.

How to avoid a scam

Higgins provided some guidelines to heed before making any donations — including making contributions to “known organizations” instead of to individuals to donate for you. The Attorney’s Office also warned to not be pressured into donating, since “reputable charities do not use such tactics.”

Furthermore, Higgins reminded people to avoid clicking links or opening attached files, as they may target personal information (such as credit card information or birthdates) or contain viruses.

“Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals,” the Attorney’s Office wrote.

Some organizations may have “copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same” as credible charities, but websites for legitimate charities typically end in “.org” rather than “.com,” the Attorney’s Office reminded.

To learn more about what FEMA is doing after Helene , check the website. FEMA also has a page for Hurricane Milton preparations .

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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