Episode Details

Charlotte Waters and Kathy Grunewald of Legal Services of North Florida discuss common scams that surge after storms, including fake contractors, fraudulent charities soliciting donations, water treatment pitches, and impersonators posing as FEMA or other government officials via door-to-door visits, calls, texts, and social media. They stress trusting your gut, refusing high-pressure tactics, avoiding sharing sensitive information, verifying contractor licenses through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, checking charities with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, seeking vetted resources through 211 and local emergency operations centers, getting multiple estimates, and using written contracts. They explain how to report scams to DBPR, the Florida Attorney General (including the No Scam app), the National Center for Disaster Fraud, and local law enforcement, and share LSNF contact information for post-disaster legal support.

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