“Michigan is no exception to something horrible that happens where con artists try to get money from people when they’re at their most vulnerable.”
Daniel Bernardy is a public information officer with FEMA. He says thousands have applied for disaster relief through eight FEMA offices across the state in the past few weeks, and all residents need to be wary as fraudulent activity typically increases after disasters.
“We will always have identification, and survivors should feel empowered to ask for ID. Survivors should feel empowered to ask the housing inspector to provide the nine-digit registration number.”
Bernardy says state and federal disaster workers will never ask for money and never require payment in any form, nor will they ask for your banking information. However, if a resident is approved for relief funds and selected the online mobile payment option, they can expect an email from no-reply@digitalpayouts.com
“And it just so happens that that portal does not use a .gov domain, but it is trusted.”
If a resident is unsure whether something or someone representing FEMA is legitimate, they can call 1-800-621-3362. The deadline for filing is August 31st.
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