Multiple scams arise after Fort McMurray wildfires

Fraudsters areattempting to scam kind-heartedAlbertansout of donations, evacuees out of funds to rebuild their home and the government out of disaster funds, officials warn.

Throughout the battle with the wildfire known as "the beast" that did billions of dollars of damage to the town of Fort McMurray,Albertans have displayed their kindness with donations and offers of support.

But some people are trying to take advantage of that generosity, warnsRon Mycholuk ofthe central and northern Alberta Better Business Bureau.

The most prevalent scams are fake charities collectingonline or door-to-door, he said.

If people are really pressuring you to give money right there on the spot... take a step back.- RonMycholuk

Donors should be wary if someone at the door becomes pushy about donations, Mycholuk said.

"If people are really pressuring you to give money right there on the spot and not give you a chance to think or do some research, take a step back," he said.

Peopleshould watch for fraudulent Go Fund Mepages orfake websites made to mimic disaster relief programs, he added.

"It's really easy to take advantage of web hosting softwareand put up a website that looks really legitimate," said Mycholuk.

"It only has to scam people for a really short period of time to get a lot of money, especially right now when people are so eager to give."

Mycholuk said it's best to avoid any website that doesn't have a direct link to donate. It's better to donate directly to the Red Cross and avoid any intermediary website, he said.

Beware of fake contractors

When evacuees finally get to return home, Mycholuk said they should be on the lookout for people he calls "storm chasers" fake contractors who will show up when the rebuilding process starts.

These people will offer repairs at a cheaper and quicker pace than what is actually possible and ask for the money up front.

Once paid,they will either disappear immediately or do quick and shoddy work.

"Then when you want them to redo it properly,you'll never find them again," said Mycholuk. "They've scammed 10, 15, 20families and then disappeared."

These people have been through so much and then to have them scammed... is shameful and it is disgusting.- RonMycholuk

The best way to avoid these scammers is to only work with well-known businesses or people with good,public track records, he said.

Mycholuk notes that rebuilding is a long and arduous process and if something sounds too good to be true, it often is.

"These people have been through so much and then to have them scammed when they are just trying to start rebuilding their lives is shameful and it is disgusting," saidMycholuk.

Scamming the government

It's not just the evacuees who need to look out for people looking to profit from the wildfire'spath of destruction.

On Monday, a woman was charged after she tried to use photocopied documents to accessmoney set aside for evacuees. OnThursday,a 29-year-old man was charged in Calgary for a similar offence.

Minister of Municipal Affairs Danielle Larivee said there have been attempts by people to access the province's debitcardsbut they are few and far between.

So far, there has been 10 arrestsof peoplefraudulentlyattempting to access the debit cards madein the provinceand in only two cases charges have been laid.

Larivee added that this represents .05 per cent of the more than 38,000 cards that have already been issued.

In order to get the cards, evacuees need to provethat they were forced out of their home in the fire zone and haven't been able to return for seven days.

"It's difficult with some people having left key documents behind, so ideally we ask them to present identification documents, proof of residence, those kinds of things," said Larivee.

If an evacuee cannot provide any proof,theyare asked to sign a statutory declaration.

Alberta sheriffs are posted at the distribution centres to handleany attempts at fraud.