Hurricane fraud is on the rise, feds warn. Beware these scams.

As Hurricane Milton steams toward Florida even as Americans continue to clean up from Hurricane Helene, another threat looms: scammers trying to exploit the disasters, and many people's impulse to help those in need, by posing as legitimate charities. 

The National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), established by the Justice Department after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to protect people from scams following disasters, is warning the public to be leery of some hurricane-related solicitations for funds that could be efforts by criminals to steal your money or personal information.  

"In the wake of Helene, fraudsters will target victims of the storm along with citizens across the country who want to do what they can to assist individuals affected by the storm. Unfortunately, criminals exploit disasters for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating deceiving websites designed to solicit contributions," the NCDF said.