Avoiding FEMA impersonation scams

After a Houston flood the scammers arrive on the same roads as the good will. They have vests. They have clipboards. They say FEMA, or the city, or “the adjuster.” They want a Social Security number, a bank login, or a fee to “put you at the front.”

Real registration is free at DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362. Real inspectors don’t ask you to pay them. Real FEMA staff don’t need gift cards to “release a check.”

If your gut says the badge looks like it was printed at a hotel business center, trust the gut. Then verify on a number you looked up yourself.

Do this now

If a caller asks for money, a PIN, or a gift card to process FEMA help, hang up.
Look up DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362 yourself. Do not call the number the caller recites.
Ask any door visitor for a name, agency, and a way to verify. Keep them on the porch.
Do not sign a document you cannot read. Do not hand over original IDs to a stranger “for copying.”
Report the pitch to local law enforcement non-emergency, the Texas Attorney General, and FEMA’s disaster-fraud paths published on FEMA.gov.

The scripts that keep showing up

“I need your bank login to deposit the grant.” No. “Pay a processing fee and I can register you today.” No. “There is a leftover Harvey fund if you Venmo me the application fee.” No. “I am the inspector, I just need your Social and your kids’ SSNs on this tablet.” Not on the porch like that.

Houstonians often report a second wave: contractors who say they are “with FEMA” and can start demo today if you assign benefits. FEMA does not send remodeling crews to sell a gut job.

What a real inspector visit looks like

If you registered, you may get a scheduled inspection. You can ask for identification and you can call the number on your FEMA account or 1-800-621-3362 to confirm. They look at damage. They do not demand cash. They do not need to hold your debit card.

If nobody can confirm the visit, it is not a visit. Take a photo of the vehicle from inside the house if you feel safe doing that, then close the door.

Lookalike sites and texts

A text with a shortened link “to finish your FEMA file” is a classic. Type the address yourself. DisasterAssistance.gov and FEMA.gov are the names. A near-spell of those names is the con.

If you already typed a password into a bad site, change bank and email passwords from a clean device and call your bank. Then register on the real site and tell FEMA you may have been spoofed.

Charity names get stolen too

People use Red Cross, local church names, and “Harris County relief” on fake pages. The Red Cross number people know is 1-800-733-2767, and you can still verify on their official site. City and county donation pages live on city and county domains.

If you want to give, you go to the organization. If you want to receive, you do not pay to be on a list.

Verify live. Status changes hourly. Only DisasterAssistance.gov, the official FEMA app, and 1-800-621-3362. Confirm inspectors through your account or that number. Disaster-fraud reporting paths are on FEMA.gov. Emotional crisis line 988 is for you, not for a scammer.