© 2024 WSHU
NPR News & Classical Music
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Connecticut Warns Of Scammers Trying To Cash In On Harsh Weather

Rains from storm Elsa on a street in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on July 9, 2021.
Roberto Rojas
/
WSHU Public Radio
Rains from storm Elsa on a street in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on July 9, 2021.

Hurricane season can bring harsh weather — and scammers posing as disaster relief companies.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong warns residents that many fake — and even some real — companies may look to take advantage of natural disasters.

"People are vulnerable right now and none of us is immune from that and we say this all the time, any of us is vulnerable to getting scammed,” Tong said.

To avoid scams, the state Department of Consumer Protection recommended residents prepare in advance with reputable companies that want to help in case of an emergency and not the moment a disaster strikes.

Tong said the state is also monitoring for any vaccination scams or alternatives cures for COVID-19 as the state remains in a public health emergency.