New Yorkers preparing for severe weather should plan not only for outages and damage but also for fraud during recovery, the state Department of State warned Thursday. Contractors, utility imposters and fake relief representatives may exploit the urgency after a storm, the agency said.
The Division of Consumer Protection's Sept. 24 alert calls on residents to review emergency supplies, insurance coverage and financial safeguards during National Preparedness Month. Secretary of State Walter Mosley said the risks do not end when a storm passes.
The warning applies to weather emergencies statewide; it does not announce a new storm or identify a current local disaster. It lays out steps residents can take before an emergency, during an outage and when seeking help afterward.
Prepare documents, supplies and alerts
The state advises households to update a family emergency plan and replenish their supply kit. Residents can sign up for New York's emergency alerts and check an insurance policy in advance to understand what damage is covered and what is excluded.
Keep copies of Social Security and health insurance cards, deeds, titles, wills and birth or marriage certificates in a lockable, fireproof container or secure personal cloud storage, the alert says. Digital copies should be protected with a strong password and multifactor authentication.
The state also offers free, in-person Citizen Preparedness Corps training through the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and New York National Guard. The courses cover how to prepare, respond and recover; residents can find and enroll in a nearby session online.
Reduce fire and carbon monoxide risks during an outage
Battery-powered flashlights or lanterns are safer lighting choices than candles when power fails, the state says. If candles are used, they should never be left unattended or placed near material that can burn, and they should be extinguished before leaving a room or sleeping.
Fuel-powered generators must not be operated inside a home, garage, basement or other enclosed space because of carbon monoxide danger. The alert says to place a gas generator at least 20 feet from windows, doors and vents and connect appliances with individual, heavy-duty outdoor-rated cords.
Fireplaces, wood stoves and other combustion heaters need proper venting to the outdoors. Residents should open a fireplace damper before lighting a fire and keep it open until the ashes cool. Kerosene, propane and other fuel heaters must use the fuel specified for the device, the state says.
Do not use a gas range, oven or grill to heat a home, and do not leave a vehicle running in an attached garage, even with the windows open. Those practices can allow carbon monoxide to build up indoors.
Check the identity of anyone offering help
After a storm, be wary of a contractor who claims to have found roof damage, promises an unusually quick or cheap repair, pressures for upfront payment or disappears after collecting money, the alert says. The state attorney general also offers post-storm consumer guidance.
Federal agencies including FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security and the Small Business Administration do not charge for disaster-assistance applications or help completing them. FEMA housing inspectors do not charge inspection fees and should carry an official badge. Residents can ask to see identification before allowing an inspector to proceed.
The division says scammers may pose as utility workers, demand a reconnection fee or claim they need to enter a home to investigate a leak. Residents should independently verify an unexpected visit or payment request with their utility, rather than rely on the contact information provided at the door.
An unexpected FEMA letter or inspector visit when no application was filed can indicate identity theft, the state says. In that situation, residents can contact FEMA's helpline at 800-621-3362. Disaster-related texts and emails offering relief or repairs may also be phishing attempts; avoid opening unfamiliar links.
Donation appeals can be checked against established charity-rating services before money is sent. For other consumer problems, the state Division of Consumer Protection offers voluntary mediation and takes complaints through its consumer-protection site. Its assistance line, 1-800-697-1220, is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding state holidays.
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