Staff report
Hays County officials are asking residents to be cautious about giving out personal information after reports have surfaced of scammers taking advantage of flood victims.
According to Hays County officials, there are scammers in the area that have taken the personal information of flood victims. Officials say the scammers have gathered drivers license, social security and bank account numbers.
In addition, reports are surfacing of scammers that are going door-to-door, offering to replace driver’s licenses and social security cards.
Officials caution residents about giving out personal information, and ask residents to ask for an official identification, and take a cell phone photo of the representative, their car, and license plate if possible.
According to Hays County officials Monday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has representatives in the area at this time.
Parsons-Brinkerhoff and Vanguard are official contractors for FEMA and have a handful of contractors visiting those who have already registered for FEMA assistance.
Contractors who visit people will have a badge with their photo, FEMA Contractor and DHS on it. They will not ask for personal information, such as driver’s license, social security or bank account numbers. FEMA contractors will have the registration number the individual was given when registering for FEMA assistance. The contractors will be able to pull up the individual's registration information on their tablet computers they carry.
Anyone who sees suspicious activity or people are asked to call law enforcement.
To register for FEMA services, call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY).
