Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency
Headline: FEMA Alert: Watch for Fraud After April Storms in Kentucky
FEMA Alert: Watch for Fraud After April Storms in Kentucky
FRANKFORT, Ky
– If you are a survivor of Kentucky April storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, floods, landslides and mudslides, you may also be a target of con artists and criminals who try to obtain money or steal personal information
Protect Your IdentityIn some cases, thieves try to apply for FEMA assistance using names, addresses and Social Security numbers they have stolen from survivors
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 so, please inform the inspector that you did not apply for FEMA assistance, so the inspector can submit a request to stop further processing of the application
If you did not apply for assistance, but received a letter from FEMA, please call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362
The Helpline will submit a request to stop any further processing of that application
If you do wish to apply for FEMA assistance after stopping an application made in your name without your knowledge, the Helpline will assist you in creating a new application
Identify Legitimate FEMA StaffFEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams, housing inspectors and other officials are working in areas impacted by the April severe storms throughout Kentucky
They carry official identification badges with photo
FEMA representatives never charge applicants for disaster assistance, inspections or help in filling out applications
Don’t believe anyone who promises a disaster grant in return for payment
Don’t give your banking information to a person claiming to be a FEMA housing inspector
FEMA inspectors never collect your personal financial information
Report Scams and FraudIf you believe you are the victim of a scam report it immediately to your local police or sheriff’s department, or contact the Office of the Attorney General by calling 502-696-5485 or visit its website at Natural Disaster Scams – Kentucky Attorney General
To file a fraud complaint, go online to Scam Report (kentucky
gov)
If you suspect fraudulent activity involving FEMA, you can report it to the FEMA Fraud Branch at: StopFEMAFraud@fema
dhs
gov, or write to: FEMA Fraud and Internal Investigation Division, 400 C Street SW Mail Stop 3005, Washington, DC 20472-3005
If you suspect identity theft, please visit Identity Theft | FTC Consumer Information or IdentityTheft
gov
How To Apply for FEMA AssistanceSurvivors in the Anderson, Butler, Carroll, Christian, Clark, Franklin, Hardin, Hopkins, Jessamine, McCracken, Mercer, Owen and Woodford counties who have disaster-caused damage or loss from the April storm can apply for federal disaster assistance under the major disaster declaration DR-4864 in several ways:Online at DisasterAssistance
gov
Visit any Disaster Recovery Center
To find a center close to you, visit fema
gov/DRC, or text DRC along with your Zip Code to 43362 (Example: “DRC 29169”)
Use the FEMA mobile app
FEMA works with every household on a case-by-case basis
Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362
It is open 7 a
m
to 10 p
m
Eastern Daylight Time
Help is available in many languages
If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service
For more information about Kentucky flooding recovery, visit www
fema
gov/disaster/4860 and www
fema
gov/disaster/4864
Follow the FEMA Region 4 X account at x
com/femaregion4
martyce
allenjr
Thu, 05/01/2025 – 16:27