The Investor Protection Unit of Delaware’s Department of Justice is cautioning First State residents to be on the lookout for a new round of scams.
The scams could try to take advantage of people wanting to help in the wake of widespread damage caused by Hurricane Florence, which hit the Carolinas two weeks ago.
Attorney General Matt Denn says his office is trying to make people aware of events like hurricanes that often give rise to phony fundraisers.
“We haven’t gotten reports of any specifically regarding Florence yet but with every other natural disaster that we’ve had in the last several years, we have seen primarily fundraising scams where people are being contacted and offered an opportunity to help victims of the natural disaster, when in fact the folks are not acting in good faith and are just trying to scam them for money,” Denn said.
Denn says natural disasters appear to bring out the best and worst in people.
He says the Investor Protection Unit has tips to avoid disaster-related scams. They include deleting unsolicited emails or social media messages and hanging up on aggressive cold callers promoting hurricane-related investments.
The bottom line is use common sense.
If you get what you believe to be a scam call, call the IPU at (302) 577-8424.
