Threat actors and scammers are expected to take advantage of those affected by the massive destruction caused by Hurricane Helene earlier this month.

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has warned that bad actors will seek to deceive both Helene’s victims and those looking to donate to rebuilding through fundraising scams. social engineering.

“As hurricanes and other natural disasters occur, CISA urges individuals to remain alert for possible malicious cyber activity. Fraudulent emails and social media posts – often containing malicious links or attachments – are common after major natural disasters,” CISA said.

“Use caution when handling emails that contain hurricane-related subject lines, attachments, or hyperlinks. Additionally, be wary of calling, texting, or door-to-door solicitations on social media regarding severe weather events.

Social engineering attacks are likely to occur quickly and in large numbers, as scammers seek to take advantage of the generosity of those seeking to help, as well as victims seeking help.

These scams will likely pose as real organizations, such as charities, and target individuals through fake websites and emails imitating real communications.

Those who click on links in these emails will likely end up on legitimate-looking websites that, after entering financial information to give, will steal that data and use it maliciously.

The perpetrators of these phishing attacks often convey an emotional narrative, emphasizing the urgency and critical nature of the disaster, thereby making people feel guilty and force them to hand over their financial data.

CISA says those looking to donate should enter the URLs of charities rather than searching for those sites or clicking on links. Additionally, individuals should avoid emails that include disaster-related subject lines or those that encourage clicking on links, text messages about the hurricane, robocalls or prerecorded scam calls, Caller ID spoofing, door-to-door canvassing and donation requests on social media, even when posted by people you know.

CISA’s warning follows statements from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which also warned of price gouging by companies while as demand soars in the wake of hurricanes.

“As Americans seek to protect themselves from natural disasters, we are hearing troubling reports of price gouging on essential products that are needed to keep people out of harm’s way – from hotels to grocery stores to gasoline,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan.

“No American should have to worry about getting scammed while fleeing a hurricane. In partnership with state authorities, the FTC will continue to fight to ensure Americans can get the help they need without falling prey to bad actors exploiting a crisis.

According to media reports, airlines have been accused of price gouging in the wake of Hurricane Helene and in the run-up to Hurricane Milton.

One X user pointed out that United Airlines was charging up to $2,351 for an economy flight from Tampa to St. Louis, effectively putting a price on survival.

Hey @unitedwhat about the price gouging in Tampa for people trying to evacuate? Your prices aren’t as comparable to those in the US or the Southwest… dodgy. pic.twitter.com/DWBT05QQL5

– Jeremy (@iowaradioguy) October 7, 2024

However, airlines have denied price gouging and said they are capping fares so that economy class tickets are less than $500.

“United capped Florida fares on Sunday,” the carrier said. Forbes. “Since then, the average price of a one-way economy class ticket to our hubs from affected markets in Florida has been less than $500.”

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s antitrust division issued a stern warning against price gouging.

“Businesses are on alert: don’t use the hurricane as an excuse to exploit people through illegal behavior,” he said.

“The Antitrust Division and its enforcement partners will act quickly to root out anticompetitive behavior and use all available tools to hold violators accountable.”