With back-to-back hurricanes hitting the southeastern states, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin is warning the public to protect against scammers taking bad advantage of your good will.
Gregory Haanstad said that even as Americans are often at their best during such times, opportunists will be doing their best to snatch your donation for themselves. He’s urging Wisconsinites to be mindful when considering responding to solicitations that can come from phone calls, texts, social media, email, door-to-door collections, flyers, and even direct mail. All can be used by scammers looking for a quick score.
Haanstad said it’s important that donations are made to well-known organizations, and if you’re pressured to give, stop right there. Legitimate organizations don’t use high-pressure tactics, nor do they collect personal information that could be used in identity theft.
The US Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud is actively watching for such activity, and complaints are accepted 24/7 through their hotline at (866) 720-5721, or via email at www.justice.gov/
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