Written by Jake Lehrer

The Texas Hill Country has been devastated by flooding as more and more rain is hitting Texas. Already a year after 2025’s devastating flooding in Kerr County, Central Texas has been affected again, but by abnormal rain conditions. The floods have taken down two bridges, ruined property and homes, and have endangered many Texans, killing two people already. Rescue efforts and relief are being provided in the area, and President Trump and Governor Abbott have made emergency declarations in Central Texas. Around the state, people are hearing about the tragedies befalling Central Texas from the flooding and rivers of water surging through communities.

While relief efforts are underway and non-profits and agencies race to provide support, there are others in play amidst the chaos, using it as an opportunity to prey on victims and those who seek to help.

Ever since humans were able to deceive each other, there have always been scammers when it comes to chaos. There is no exception to natural disasters. While an entire country will rally around a community to give it love and support, and prayer in times of crisis, some see it as an opportunity to scam victims and those who wish to help and support victims. Others see it as a way to make a profit and raise prices on necessary resources. FEMA has reported people pretending to be agents in the area, hoping to scam victims. In times of crisis, we want to help, but we also have to be careful how we do it because people want to trick us on our goodwill.

That is why Texas Attorney General Paxton issued a statement, preparing Texans for scammers and businesses price gouging.

“My heart breaks for the victims whose lives have been lost and every Texan who has been affected by the devastating flooding we’re seeing, and I will not allow scammers and bad actors to price gouge as the storms continue to impact our communities. Unfortunately, bad actors often try to take advantage in difficult times by operating fake charities, running donation scams, and price gouging,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Let me be clear: it is illegal for a business or individual to price gouge and unreasonably raise the cost of goods during a declared disaster. ”

According to KSST Radio: “In the wake of [Hurricane Harvey], the [Attorney General’s Office] received hundreds of complaints regarding “greedy profiteering.” The state ultimately issued formal demands to 127 businesses accused of price gouging—some of which were allegedly charging $99 for a case of water or up to $10 per gallon for gasoline.”

The Texas Attorney General’s Office has provided resources to help consumers in the Lone Star State be wise about how they support their fellow Texans in times of need.

• “CharityWatch, formerly known as The American Institute of Philanthropy, is a charity watchdog group that helps donors make informed choices.” This is important to follow. You can prevent yourself and people you know from supporting organizations that turn out to be scams. We need to be able to navigate what is beneficial to a situation and avoid falling for a scam. CharityWatch seeks to educate consumers on giving wisely to those who will use their donations well.
• “Do not wire money or confirm financial or personal information, including bank account, credit card, or Social Security numbers.” Donations and support should be straightforward. If you have to jump through hulu hoops to help victims of natural disasters, then you’re headed down the wrong direction. Scammers will try to pull info out of you and will give excuses as to why. Some might be well-rehearsed and sound legitimate. The best thing to do is, if someone calls you and claims a legitimate purpose, you should hang up, and if the organization or cause does interest you, it is best to learn about it yourself and reach out to an organization directly.
• “GuideStar gathers data on millions of IRS-recognized nonprofits.” You can look up any nonprofit and find out the details of the organization, financial information, and more. Fact-checking in this regard offers assurance as to the makeup of the nonprofit you are donating to.
• “Do not trust a name or phone number. Scammers often use fake names and phone numbers to disguise their identity and area code.” If you want to give, it is best to seek out a certified charity or organization and do everything directly. When donating, you should only have to give money, not sensitive information. Be wary of vendors around stores or solicitors, as well. When I want to give, I want to absolutely make sure I am donating to the organization directly supporting the situation. So I will seek a trusted nonprofit on my own and go through their channels, not a third party or supposed representative.
• “You can put your number on the Texas Do Not Call Registry (by visiting  TexasNoCall.com or by calling toll-free at 1-888-309-0600) and the National Do Not Call Registry (by visiting www.donotcall.gov or by calling toll-free at 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236)).” If you have a problem with spam callers, this should stop that. The National Do Not Call Registry will list your number as one sales people and other spam callers cannot call. While scammers will not care about this law, it is important to have your number listed on the Do Not Call registry, and anyone trying to sell you something or saying they represent an organization should raise red flags.

Office of the Attorney General’s website on tips for charitable donors: here.

Report suspected fraud or price gouging by calling 1-800-621-0508 or by filing an online complaint: here.

By Jake Lehrer
Staff Writer