Hurricanes Helene and Milton did more than destroy homes, flood cars, and ruin personal effects. The back-to-back cyclones opened up an opportunity for unscrupulous characters to run a number of criminal schemes on a beleaguered public. 

Evidence has already been seen in the Tampa Bay area, with Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announcing several arrests of individuals performing unlicensed work and looters invading private residences. As if those people already suffering heavily didn’t have enough to worry about, a new tag on an old racket is making its way around the internet, particularly in areas most profoundly impacted by Hurricanes. Helene and Milton. After all, it is not at all unusual for scams to be perpetrated following widespread disasters when nefarious characters prey on victims who are at their most vulnerable.

The latest swindle comes in the form of email and text, ostensibly originating from MyGov Refund. Of course, the messages are fake and attempt to lure stressed-out individuals into a sophisticated phishing scheme. The communications prompt recipients to provide personal information, such as street addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, and possibly bank account details.

To protect yourself from scams, follow these tips:

• Avoid clicking links: If you receive a message with a link, don’t click it.
• Don’t open attachments: If you get an attachment in a message, avoid opening it.
• Don’t reply: If a message seems suspicious, don’t respond.
• Be cautious of calls: If someone claiming to be from MyGov Refund threatens you over the phone, hang up immediately.
• Report scams: If you believe you’ve been scammed, contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

Potential victims should also report email and text messages to their Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and/or to their mobile carrier, as well as their email provider (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, Zoho, Yahoo, etc.) Remember, it’s important to stay vigilant and protect your personal information.