NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is asking Tennesseeans to be cautious of disaster relief scams after devastating flooding hit some parts of East Tennessee.
"While most Tennesseans are showing the best of the Volunteer spirit to our neighbors devastated by Helene, a few bad actors always slime out of the woodwork to take advantage of those in need,” Skrmetti said. “Price gouging and scamming vulnerable people after disasters is not only repulsive, it’s illegal. My office will not hesitate to enforce Tennessee’s consumer protection laws against any bad actor attempting to rip off Tennesseans recovering from the storm."
After natural disasters, bad actors will raise the prices of essential goods, according to Skremetti. In Tennessee, it's illegal to do so as a direct response to a natural disaster.
Skremetti is also asking residents to be wary of contractors who don't have proper licensing work. You can look up someone who is registered and has a license in Tennessee here.
It's also important to make sure your donations count and are going to people who really need help. You can verify a charity here.
Charities in Tennessee are also required to be licensed. To check to make sure the charity you are donating to is properly licensed in Tennessee click here and search the charity name.
If you are a victim of a scam or price gouging and want to report it, you can contact the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs at 615-741-4737 or submit a complaint online.
