LAKE COUNTY >> Concerns about impostors posing as FEMA inspectors were answered Thursday by an official from the federal organization.
In the past month, various Valley Fire-related Facebook pages have warned fellow survivors that inspectors have been observed at construction sites and FEMA manufactured housing units without wearing badges or proper uniforms.
According to FEMA External Affairs Officer Kelly Hudson, the organization received word of this in late April and found that official preventative inspectors in the county weren’t displaying the proper badges.
“It wasn’t properly communicated to them that they needed to wear a photo ID,” Hudson said. “Once we became aware of it we took care of it.”
In response, FEMA shut down the inspection team — which checks out its housing units for proper utility connections — on April 27 and created new badges for them. Operations then resumed on May 3, she said.
Protecting information and staying vigilant for scammers is one of FEMA’s primary messages for survivors, reminding people to call local authorities and the organization’s helpline at (800)621-3362 if there’s any suspicious activity.
