Overview

• Flash floods that struck Texas Hill Country in early July have killed at least 87 people, including 30 children, and recovery teams continue to search for the missing in Kerr County.
• The U.S. Attorney’s Office has issued warnings that fraudsters are posing as charities, contractors or government officials through calls, texts, emails and door-to-door visits to solicit donations.
• The Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud and FEMA have activated a dedicated hotline (866-720-5721) and online complaint form for reporting suspected scams.
• Fraudsters created fake Venmo accounts using the Center Point Volunteer Fire Department’s logo and similar usernames, temporarily suspending the legitimate account before it was reinstated.
• Community banks and credit unions are sending proactive fraud alerts to customers and filing Suspicious Activity Reports to help law enforcement dismantle disaster-related schemes.