DES MOINES, Iowa – Scams seem to follow disasters. Don’t let your guard down and suffer another disaster such as identity theft or paying fees for services that are never provided. Remember, FEMA never charges for services nor does it endorse any commercial business, product or service. All federal employees have an official badge/ID. Ask to see it. The following are some common post-disaster fraud practices to avoid.

Fraudulent building contractors. When hiring a contractor, the Iowa Attorney General suggests:

1. Check out the contractor before you sign a contract or pay any money. Ask if the contractor is registered with the Iowa Workforce Development’s Division of Labor Services. You can check a contractor’s registration online through the Division of Labor Services website, or call 515-242-5871.;
2. Be sure to check local references and hire local contractors when possible. (If you do not know the contractor, consider taking photographs of license plates, vehicles, driver’s licenses, etc.)
3. Also, check Iowa Courts Online for past court cases, and see if there are complaints on file with the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.;
4. Get it in writing. Seek several written estimates for the job you want done.
5. Before any work begins, agree on a written contract detailing work to be done, type and quality of materials to be used, responsibility for permits, costs, and any other promises.;
6. Request a copy of the contractor’s liability insurance certificate.
7. Put start and completion dates in writing and consequences if the contractor fails to follow them (For example: The contract could be nullified if the contractor does not start on time or finish on time.);
8. Avoid paying large sums in advance to a contractor. If you have to make a partial advance payment for materials, make your check out to the supplier and the contractor.Avoid paying large sums in advance to a contractor. If you have to make a partial advance payment for materials, make your check out to the supplier and the contractor.
9. Insist on a “mechanic’s lien waiver” in case the contractor fails to pay others for materials or labor.
10. Do not make a rushed decision or agree to a contract that you do not want just because the contractor tells you that he is busy. In most cases, Iowa’s Door-to-Door Sales law gives you three business days to cancel a contract signed at your home if you change your mind or have another reason to cancel the contract.

Fake offers of state or federal aid:

1. Beware of visits, calls or emails from people claiming to be from FEMA or the State of Iowa asking for your Social Security number, bank account or other sensitive information. Giving out this type of information can help an unscrupulous person make a false claim for assistance or commit identify theft;
2. Don’t fall for scam artists who promise a disaster grant and ask for large cash deposits or advance payments in full.;
3. Federal and state workers do not solicit or accept money. FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) staff never charge applicants for disaster assistance, inspections or help in filling out applications. FEMA inspectors never require banking or other financial information. The job of FEMA housing inspectors is to verify damage. Inspectors do not hire or endorse specific contractors to fix homes or recommend repairs. They do not determine eligibility for assistance. FEMA inspectors will not condemn a property. Condemnation determinations are made by your local jurisdiction.

Recovery officials encourage Iowa residents to watch for and report any suspicious activity. If you suspect fraud, contact the Consumer Protection Division of the State Attorney General’s Office at: Email consumer@ag.iowa.gov; Call 515-281-5926; Toll-free number outside of the Des Moines area: 888-777-4590. For more information visit Attorney General consumer tips and information.

(Radio Iowa) — Dozen of miles of roads in southwest Iowa are closed because they’re still underwater or they’re badly damaged by recent flooding. The Iowa Department of Transportation is trying to make it easier for motorists to navigate in that corner of the state. D-O-T spokeswoman Andrea Henry says the website 5-1-1-i-a-dot-org and the 5-1-1 app are being constantly updated. “We have added the enhancement where we’ve actually painted the roadways that are closed in red,” Henry says, “so they’re easy to see at a glance what is closed and exactly the length of roadway that is closed.”

Henry says you might need to zoom into an area to see the red lines indicating a closed road. “You need to make sure when you’re on the 511 map that you click on ‘Incidents’ on the left hand side,” Henry says, “and that will show you those roadways that are closed due to incidents such as flooding, or if we do have a crash that would close a roadway temporarily.” More than a dozen temporary cameras have also been secured in place in southwest Iowa — offering views that are visible using the 5-1-1 app and website — to help travelers keep tabs on the impacted roads. “We have them along Iowa 2, I-29 and US 34 as well, so that you can really see if there’s still water on the roadways in those areas,” Henry says. “You can see the debris removal activities as well as the construction activities that are going on along those roadways.”

Officials in Fremont County fear it could be as long as two years before all county roads are back in use. Henry says the D-O-T aims to have most of the major state-owned roads open by sometime well into fall.

Clarinda Police, Thursday evening, responded to the Dollar General Store at 200 East Glenn Miller Drive in Clarinda, to investigate an alleged shoplifting incident. Officers arrested 47-year old Wendy Sue Wood, of Clarinda, for theft by means of shoplifting, with additional charges possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia used to inject methamphetamine. Wood was being held on bond in the Page County jail.

Reports concerning the incident have been submitted to the office of Page County Attorney Carl M. Sonksen for review regarding the filing of formal charges.

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Londo reports, personnel with FEMA will be out in the county going door-to-door, to get people who were affected by the floods to register to receive assistance. All of the people going around will have identification on them to show that they work for FEMA. The crews will be out over the next week to two weeks.

If you have questions, call Alex Londo at 712-755-5160.

(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds says the flood damage estimate the State of Iowa submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in March will be increased. The original one-point-six BILLION dollar estimate of damage in western Iowa was developed a month ago. “Then FEMA came in, with the National Guard and counted rooftops,” Reynolds says. “…I made it very clear in what I submitted that this was initial damage and there more than likely be additional damage and the dollars would increase moving forward.”

The Iowa Farm Bureau has estimated 127-thousand acres of Iowa cropland has been affected by the flooding and ag-related damage alone is two BILLION dollars. The governor says the repair costs for many of the busted levees along the Missouri River cannot be determined now because the water is still high in key areas. “That’s one of the things I talked to FEMA about when I met with acting director Gaynor, to just say: ‘Please don’t shut this incident down because we are still vulnerable right now. We don’t know the extent of the damage,'” Reynolds says. “We need some time to get those numbers to them.”

On Friday, March 22nd, state officials pegged major and minor damage to flooded homes at more than 400-MILLION dollars. Damages to businesses and commercial property was estimated in the range of 300 MILLION. The FINAL damage estimates are key for each county, as it determines whether federal disaster assistance will be made available to individuals — and whether federal money will help rebuild facilities owned by the state, city and county governments.

The SEVEN western Iowa counties of Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Pottawattamie, Shelby, and Woodbury already have been declared federal disaster areas. For individual residents, it means they may apply for federal grants and low-interest loans to cover home repairs or other disaster-related expenses. In addition, federal food assistance is available to residents in those seven counties who had high-water or lost power in their homes — or who had reduced work hours or lost their job because of the flooding.