How hurricane charity scams target you before storms hit

A hurricane-season scammer can start the day with coffee and a spreadsheet. That spreadsheet may hold names, ages, addresses, phone numbers and family details. A scammer might buy that information, pull it from people-search sites or piece it together from public sources.

That means hurricane charity scams can start before a storm even hits. By the time a hurricane dominates the news, a fraudster may already know who could respond to a donation pitch.

September is National Preparedness Month, and this year's theme is "Americans Stand Ready." While FEMA urges you to make an emergency plan and build a kit, scammers are looking for ways to turn a disaster into a payday.

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Charity scammers do not have to wait for a disaster to start looking for targets. Data brokers and marketers have spent years collecting information about where people live, what they buy and how they respond to solicitations.

One Justice Department case shows how dangerous that kind of targeting can become. Epsilon Data Management used transactional data and a database covering 100 million U.S. households to identify "responsive buyers." Prosecutors said two executives, Robert Reger and David Lytle, spent about a decade knowingly selling targeted lists to fraudsters.

One client used those lists to defraud more than 218,000 people out of over $23.7 million. More than 12,000 victims got hit more than 20 times. A judge sentenced Reger to 10 years in prison and Lytle to four years. Epsilon also paid $150 million in penalties and victim compensation, with $122 million returned to more than 200,000 victims.

The Epsilon prosecution focused on mass-mailing fraud rather than hurricane charity scams. Still, it shows how personal data and behavioral signals can help fraudsters choose targets before a pitch lands.

Separate FBI data shows the cost of charity fraud. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded 662 charity complaints and $7,907,609 in reported losses in 2025.

A scammer does not need a history of bad donations to target you. Fraudsters can reach people through purchased lists, public records, robocalls and other marketing channels.

James Trankle ran three fake charities, including the "Disabled and Paralyzed Veterans Fund," the "National Breast Cancer Awareness Fund" and the "Children's Leukemia of America Fund." He mailed solicitations to thousands of people and collected more than 1,600 personal checks. Then he used donor banking information to create counterfeit checks. Many victims were older adults. A judge sentenced him to five years in prison.

Travis Peterson ran a six-year scheme using millions of robocalls and other outreach to solicit donations for sham veterans' charities. Prosecutors said he often targeted senior citizens. A judge sentenced him to 41 months in prison and ordered him to pay $541,032.10 in restitution.

These cases show why an unexpected charity pitch deserves a closer look, especially when the caller already knows personal details about you.

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Natural disasters create urgency and confusion while bringing out people's desire to help. Scammers know that. After Hurricane Helene, FEMA warned that thieves may try to use stolen names, addresses and Social Security numbers to apply for assistance in other people's names. FEMA also warned residents to be alert for impostors posing as inspectors or disaster workers.

The FTC has warned that scammers quickly exploit weather emergencies with fake charities and copycat organizations. Some imitate real charity names or create websites that appear tied to a disaster.

Meanwhile, the Atlantic hurricane season runs through November 30, and NOAA identifies September 10 as the climatological peak. That puts National Preparedness Month right in the middle of the busiest part of the season. If you want to see how much personal information may be exposed online, a free scan can help you find some of the data that appears on broker and people-search sites. Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com/FreeScan

You can still be generous. The key is slowing down long enough to verify who wants your money and taking a few steps to protect yourself before you donate.

Look it up on Charity Navigator, BBB Wise Giving Alliance at Give.org, CharityWatch or the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Avoid links in unexpected texts or emails. Instead, go directly to the charity's official website.

The FTC warns that scammers may insist on cash, gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps or cryptocurrency. If you donate, a credit card or check gives you more protection and a clearer paper trail.

A demand to donate immediately should make you stop and verify the organization before sending money. Legitimate charities will give you time to research them and decide whether you want to give.

Scammers may use names that sound like established charities or web addresses that differ by only a few characters. Before donating, check the spelling of the charity's name and make sure you are on its official website.

5) Do not trust donation links in texts, emails or social media posts

A donation request can look convincing even when it comes from a compromised account or impersonates a real charity. Do not assume a fundraiser is legitimate because a friend shared it. Go directly to the charity's official website instead of clicking the donation link and use strong antivirus software to help protect you from malicious links, phishing sites and malware that may be hiding behind fraudulent donation requests.

Review your credit card or bank statement after making a donation. Confirm that you were charged only the amount you approved and check that you were not signed up for recurring donations you did not intend to make. Keep the receipt or confirmation for your records.

If something feels wrong, report it. File a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or the FBI at ic3.gov. You can also call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360.

Verifying every charity request helps, but your personal information may already be available through data brokers and people-search sites. Removing that data can make it harder for scammers to build a detailed profile around you and use personal details to make a pitch seem believable.

One option is to use a personal data removal service that can contact data brokers and people-search sites on your behalf. These services can help reduce how much of your information is publicly available and may continue monitoring for data that reappears over time. You can also make removal requests yourself, although that process can take more time and repeated follow-up.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

Hurricane charity scams work because disasters create urgency while personal data makes scam pitches more believable. The Epsilon case shows how fraudsters can use targeted consumer lists, while the Trankle and Peterson cases show how fake charities can exploit people who want to help. FEMA and the FTC continue to warn that scammers take advantage of disasters and stolen personal information. Before you donate, verify the organization independently, slow down when someone pressures you and use a payment method that gives you better protection. Reducing the amount of personal information available through data brokers can also make it harder for scammers to build a detailed profile around you. You cannot stop hurricane season, but you can make yourself a harder target.

Have you ever received a disaster-relief donation request that made you suspicious? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Fraud expert exposes how hidden networks drove Minnesota fraud, other major scams: 'Criminal enterprise'

Criminals can turn stolen identities bought on the dark web into seemingly legitimate businesses — then use those companies to bill taxpayers for healthcare and other services that were never provided, according to a fraud expert who detailed the scheme to Fox News Digital.

The companies can hide in plain sight: Criminals create LLCs using information that may receive little scrutiny, pair them with stolen identities and submit fraudulent claims for everything from wheelchairs and diabetes treatments to childcare and autism services, according to Haywood Talcove, CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions Government.

But Talcove said the financial losses are only the beginning, warning the schemes can fuel "criminal enterprises."

"They are using our money against us, whether it's in social media campaigns, whether it is for human trafficking, drugs, disrupting our economy," Talcove told Fox News Digital.

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"When you think about fraud, don't think about, 'It's great that we stopped a fraud ring that stole $5 million.' Think about that as a criminal enterprise that goes beyond just stealing out of a benefit program."

Despite fraud schemes surfacing nationwide, Talcove said Minnesota was "particularly egregious" because the state had little incentive to stop the fraud.

"Minnesota was particularly egregious once they started looking because it was really easy to find," he said.

Talcove said one factor allowing the schemes to flourish in Minnesota and across the country is weak verification during the LLC registration process and reliance on "self-reported information."

"In the case of Minnesota, you went and got your LLC, you opened up a childcare facility, and then the next thing you knew you were billing CMS [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] for childcare or autism care, and nobody checked."

The Trump administration launched an anti-fraud crackdown this year after Minnesota's Feeding Our Future scandal, creating a task force led by Vice President JD Vance. The scheme allegedly stole $250 million from a federally funded child nutrition program during the pandemic, and many of those charged have since been convicted or sentenced to prison.

Without third-party audits, Talcove said many criminals slip through the cracks, racking up millions before they're caught.

"One of the fundamental problems with these programs that are literally spending trillions of taxpayer dollars, they have nobody doing investigations or such a small, tiny amount of people that it's not even possible to investigate," he said.

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But Talcove said when these schemes are investigated, they expose much more than fraud.

"They're not just involved in stealing Medicare, Medicaid, or food stamps, or unemployment insurance," he said. "They have other interests."

Talcove alleged some criminals use stolen funds to finance sex trafficking by bringing women from other countries and "renting them out" across the U.S., all while profiting from their "ill-gotten gains."

"What they have to look for is beyond the fraud that they found to see if they're involved in drugs, human trafficking, threats to our democracy, weapons," he said.

Calling the fraud a "national security issue," Talcove said some investigations have uncovered criminal groups involved in benefit fraud, including foreign cybercrime organizations such as APT41, a Chinese-linked hacking group.

"When you start looking at the criminal groups that are involved, APT41 and some of their peers and associates, as well as some of the other groups from North Korea and other countries, it is, right now, a national security issue," he said.

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However, not all the money is sent to "overseas criminal organizations," according to Talcove.

"Now, some of it, granted, is being used for luxury goods, homes, cars, vacations, but a lot of it is just going right back to the transnational location that it came from," he said.

Talcove warned that unless investigators dig deeper, fraudsters will continue to exploit the system.

"They tend to get away with it because the investigation stops once you find the fraud," he said.

Turning to the government's role, Talcove said Democrats and Republicans must work together to tackle the nation's growing debt, starting with stronger efforts to combat fraud.

"My hope is the fiscal situation that we're currently in, driven by what's going on with the bond market, is going to force elected leaders at the state and federal level to start paying attention," he said.

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'No rubbing, no blisters': These comfy suede clogs are down to $60 on Amazon

Slip-on clogs are a fall essential, and this suede pair is now 33% off at $60. The cork footbed contours to your feet, while the textured outsole provides added traction. Wear them with socks or barefoot for errands, vacations, football Sundays and more.

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Major blue state hospital pulls plug on controversial child transgender treatments after DOJ intervention

One of the largest hospitals in New York City will stop providing sex reassignment procedures to minors after entering an agreement with the Trump administration.

Mount Sinai has provided sex reassignment services, which included hormonal therapy and surgeries, to thousands of transgender patients. In 2025, Mount Sinai's Institute for Advanced Medicine reported that its providers saw 4,931 transgender and gender-diverse patients, but the exact number of minors receiving sex reassignment procedures has not been publicly disclosed, according to the hospital's report.

"The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable medical providers that violate federal law and endanger children through so-called gender-affirming care," said Attorney General Todd Blanche. "This agreement puts an end to these practices at Mount Sinai and provides meaningful relief for individuals who have already suffered harm."

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The agreement includes a monetary penalty and requires Mount Sinai to dedicate $2 million to free medical care for people suffering harmful consequences from transgender treatments they received as children. The agreement comes as part of an ongoing Justice Department investigation into hospitals providing such procedures to minors.

"A growing number of hospitals, like Mount Sinai, have recognized the medical scandal of sex-rejecting procedures," Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Civil Division said in a statement. "While we are grateful when we secure resolutions to end this discredited practice and protect children, we must not and will not rest in our pursuit of justice for the victims it has left behind."

Curbing sex reassignment procedures for minors has been a top priority under the Trump administration.

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Just a week after being sworn into office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled "Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation," seeking to defund federal funding for gender reassignment procedures and directing the Justice Department to enforce the nation's female genital mutilation laws and investigate drug-safety violations and potential parental rights violations.

The Justice Department's investigation examines potential violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the False Claims Act and other federal health care laws, including alleged fraudulent billing practices such as the use of false diagnosis codes to obtain payment from federal health care programs and private insurers, according to the department.

The executive order also directed federal agencies to rescind or amend policies that rely on guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).

WPATH, a professional association that develops standards of care for transgender and gender-diverse patients, is being sued by the Federal Trade Commission and several states, which allege the group made false and unsubstantiated claims about the safety, effectiveness and medical necessity of pediatric medical-transition services. The case is pending.

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WPATH's medical guidelines served as the bedrock for Mount Sinai's medical guidelines for transgender procedures, and Dr. Joshua Safer, executive director of the Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, has co-authored WPATH guidelines.

The Justice Department did not release the details of the agreement with Mount Sinai but acknowledged that the hospital "remained cooperative, proactive, and solution-driven" at all times of the investigation.

"The settlement is complex, but at its core reflects Mount Sinai’s commitment to safeguarding our patients’ confidential information and protecting our clinicians," Mount Sinai said in a statement to the New York Times.

Mount Sinai's settlement is just the latest the Justice Department has reached with major hospitals providing transgender procedures. Texas Children's Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Connecticut Children's Hospital have agreed to halt youth transgender procedures in the past couple of months.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mount Sinai for comment.

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