FEMA warning Kentuckians of scams following February's deadly floods
KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — February's devastating floods are a sad reality many Kentuckians are still coming to terms with.
On top of that, scammers are trying to take advantage of victims.
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'We do see scams and bad actors that come out into a disaster area directly after an event happens,' said FEMA spokesperson Craig Browning. 'And it's very unfortunate that they try to take advantage of people who have already lost everything.'
That's why FEMA is warning people of these potential scams, saying if something seems too good to be true, it likely is.
'In most cases, they are looking for some type of financial contribution or some type of money to be taken for some type of service given,' Browning added.
He said FEMA representatives will never charge applicants for disaster assistance, inspections, or help in filling out our applications.
According to a FEMA press release, if a FEMA inspector comes to your home and you did not submit a FEMA application, your information may have been used without your knowledge to create a FEMA application. If that happens, you're asked to tell the inspector you did not apply for FEMA assistance; that way, the inspector can submit a request to stop furthering the application process.
Also, if you did not apply for assistance but received a letter from FEMA, you're asked to call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. The helpline will then submit a request to stop further processing of that application.
If you're unsure if the person knocking on your door is with FEMA, Browning said there are a few things you need to do.
'Do not give away any of your personal information to also include your application number in the event that you applied for federal assistance.'
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He also told Fox 56 that all FEMA employees have their federal IDs on them at all times, and if someone is refusing to show identification, then close your door.
'And call your local law enforcement agency and let them know. They can come out and verify that these folks are truly with FEMA or they're not with FEMA and then handle it from there.'
Aside from immediately reporting a scam to local law enforcement, you can also report it to the Kentucky Attorney General.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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