Peak hurricane season is here and so are scammers

News Peak hurricane season is here and so are scammers | Opinion We're entering peak hurricane season in Florida. For those of us who call the Sunshine State home, August and September bring a familiar routine. We watch the forecasts, stock up on supplies, check our insurance policies, and make sure our homes are ready in case a storm comes our way. Pensacola residents don't need to be reminded of what hurricanes can do. Hurricane Sally battered Northwest Florida in September 2020, flooding homes, damaging businesses and leaving families with a long road to recovery. Three years after the storm, residents were still living with its effects and the city is still confronting damage and flooding problems. I've spent much of my career protecting consumers and the financial system from fraud. Before leading the Florida Bankers Association, I served as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and in leadership roles across the federal government. Today, representing more than 150 banks across Florida, I see how quickly scammers adapt their tactics to take advantage of people at their most vulnerable. That vulnerability is especially acute after a hurricane. A homeowner with a damaged roof wants it repaired before the next rain. A family that has been displaced needs somewhere to live. People are filing insurance claims, applying for disaster assistance and moving money to pay for repairs, often while they are exhausted and under tremendous pressure. Scammers pose as contractors and offer to begin repairs immediately in exchange for money up front. Others impersonate FEMA representatives, insurance companies or financial institutions. There are fake charities looking for donations and identity thieves who use stolen information to apply for disaster assistance. Scammers don't even have to knock on your door. A phone call, text or email can look legitimate and arrive at exactly the moment you are expecting to hear from your bank, insurer or a government agency. The broader fraud environment is becoming more costly. Americans reported about $16 billion in fraud losses in 2025, according to the Federal Trade Commission, with imposter scams remaining the most commonly reported type of fraud. That's why hurricane preparation should include preparing for fraud. If your home is damaged, verify that a contractor is licensed in Florida, get written estimates and be wary of anyone who pressures you to make an immediate decision. Ask for references, confirm the contractor carries insurance and don't let the urgency of needed repairs keep you from protecting yourself. Use the same caution with your finances. Your bank will never need your password or one-time verification code to help with your account. If someone claiming to represent your bank asks you to move money to "protect" it, stop and call your bank directly using a number you know is legitimate. Florida's banks are an important line of defense. Bankers regularly identify suspicious transactions, question unusual withdrawals and intervene when they believe a customer is being manipulated. If something involving your account doesn't seem right, talk with your banker before sending money. Banks would much rather have that conversation before a transaction than after the money is gone. And have these conversations before a storm. Talk with aging parents, relatives and neighbors about the scam risks that follow disasters. Knowing what to look for now can make an enormous difference when people are trying to put their lives back together later. Pensacola knows recovering from a hurricane doesn't happen when the skies clear. After Hurricane Sally, recovery stretched on for years. Unfortunately, the long road creates opportunities for scammers, too. Preparing for hurricane season means protecting more than your home. It means being vigilant about your finances too. Kathy Kraninger is president and CEO of the Florida Bankers Association and former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Peak hurricane season is here and so are scammers | Opinion Reporting by Kathy Kraninger, Guest columnist / Pensacola News Journal USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect This story was originally published September 7, 2026 at 5:02 AM.