This week, Hurricane Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee in North Florida and impacted millions of Floridians throughout our state.

Debby brought catastrophic storm surge along Florida’s west coast, resulting in high levels of flooding.

As the recovery process from Hurricane Debby continues, it is important to remain vigilant for scams and price gouging. That’s why we issued a Consumer Alert with tips for Floridians beginning the recovery process. Bad actors may try to take advantage of Floridians recovering from the storm with disaster-related scams, such as contractor fraud and debris-removal scams.

To avoid being ripped off from disaster-related scams:

• Have an insurance company evaluate damage before arranging repairs to ensure that the work will be covered under a policy;
• Get at least three written, itemized estimates on bids or repairs;
• Research a company and its reputation—look for references online or ask a friend; and
• Never pay the full amount of a repair expense upfront.

For more tips, download our free Scams at a Glance: After the Storm resource here.

Anyone who suspects price gouging on storm-essential items can report it to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by using the No Scam app, visiting MyFloridaLegal.com or calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM.

Thank you to all our emergency management workers, law enforcement and first responders who always work hard to prepare our state for approaching storms and help Floridians recover. Florida shows time and time again that we are resilient, and we will pull through in the aftermath of Debby.

Stay Safe, Florida.