Flood Victims Get Scam Warning

Law enforcement officials are urging North Idaho residents to be wary of possible con artists following the flooding that swept the Inland Northwest.

Kootenai County sheriff’s officials said they’ve had no fraud reports but warned that many other areas have had trouble following significant disasters.

They warned residents to be cautious of the following:

Fraudulent charitable contributions: Residents may be contacted by con artists claiming to be with charitable organizations soliciting cash. The organizations they claim to be with may be real or non-existent.

Contractor/vendor fraud: Disaster victims may be contacted by people claiming to be builders or contractors who will clean up and repair damages. These people usually start with some small part of the job, request a large down payment, then do not return. These people also may claim to be intermediaries who can arrange low-interest loans for disaster victims.

Price gouging: Although elevating prices is not illegal, some unscrupulous individuals will significantly inflate their retail prices to take advantage of disaster victims.

Residents who suspect they may have been a victim of fraud are asked to call their local law enforcement agency or the Idaho Attorney General, Consumer Fraud Division.

, DataTimes