National Center For Disaster Fraud To Coordinate Haitian And Chilean Fraud Complaints

The National Center for Disaster Fraud (“NCDF”) was established by the Department of Justice to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region. Now, its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or manmade disaster. More than 20 federal agencies, including the FBI, participate in the NCDF, allowing the center to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information.  

Indeed, shortly after the earthquake in Haiti last January, the FBI and the NCDF established a telephone hotline to report suspected fraud associated with relief efforts. That number, (866) 720-5721, was initially staffed for the purpose of reporting suspected scams being perpetrated by criminals in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake. Since then, with the recent earthquake in Chile, the government’s efforts have expanded to identify similar fraud activity emerging from that disaster. Therefore, the NCDF says it encourages calls to this same number – (866) 720-5721 – to report suspected fraud from either disaster. The telephone line is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, e-mail information can be directly sent to disaster@leo.gov.