In times of tragedy and natural disaster, one thing is constant–fraud. As unfortunate as that sounds, scam artists tend to follow the news. So when a hurricane, tornado or flood occurs, you should always be on alert for fraudulent activity.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) cautions homeowners and renters in areas that massive flooding affects about “robocalls” informing them that their flood premiums are past due. These robocalls further state that to have coverage due to the recent storm, customers must submit a payment immediately. Customers are then provided a way of submitting a payment. The catch is, there is no insurance, and the scam artists are seeking a way to gain access to customers’ personal financial information.
Don’t fall for it! Instead, contact your insurance agent. Here are a few other tips to find out what your flood insurance may or may not cover:
- If you don’t know whether you have flood insurance, contact the agent who handles your homeowners or renters policy, as they may be the same agent who handles your flood insurance. If your agent cannot help you, call your insurance company directly.
- If you have a homeowners, rental or flood insurance policy through BancorpSouth, contact your agent directly for assistance.
- If you have a policy with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP Direct), call (800) 638-6620.
If you suspect flood insurance fraud, call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Toll-Free Hotline at (866) 720-5721. Additionally, be sure to visit ftc.gov to report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). By reporting the fraud, you’ll help the FTC and other enforcement agencies bring these scam artists to justice and prevent others from being victims as well.
© BancorpSouth 2017
