Authorities have received more than 1,200 disaster fraud complaints related to August’s historic flooding in south Louisiana.
U.S. Attorney Walt Green announced that tally today during a press briefing at the National Center for Disaster Fraud, The Associated Press reports.
Green said the Justice Department-created center on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge has received more than 68,000 fraud complaints related to more than 40 disasters since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. More than 50,000 of those complaints were referred to law enforcement agencies.
Complaints typically involve allegations of residents fraudulently obtaining federal emergency aid, contractors defrauding homeowners and other scams targeting disaster victims, Green said. The call center already has received one call related to Hurricane Matthew, and expects to receive thousands more in the coming weeks, he added.
