FILE - A boarded up business stands beside a deserted street in an evacuation zone, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in Anna Maria, Fla., on Anna Maria Island, Oct. 8, 2024. . Along with that comesSmall business owners should stay alert too and recognize that the scammers can strike both online and in person.
“We’ve seen an uptick in cyberattacks during disasters,” said Jennifer Butler, partner in disaster recovery at global advisory firm EisnerAmper. “Small businesses should really pay attention to that, really be aware of scams, of phishing attempts or potential cyberattacks on their systems. Because this is the time when, you know, those bad actors are going to come after small businesses.”
Because small businesses might have a variety of employees and contractors coming and going after a disaster as they seek to mitigate damage and reopen, owners should be vigilant about verifying the identity of anyone they're working with. “Always ask for ID, documentation, those kinds of things,” Butler said. No one should be asking for payment up front, particularly anyone that says they're from a government organization such as the Small Business Administration. “Make sure you’re not paying anybody to help you if they’re saying that they’re from the federal government,” she added.in the area who are posing as Federal Emergency Management Agency officials and trying to get financial information from the storm’s victims.
If owners do suspect they may be a victim of fraud, contact FEMA to report any suspicious activity or potential fraud at 1-866-720-5721.
Business Business Latest News, Business Business Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: FoxBusiness - 🏆 458. / 53 Read more »
Source: CBSNews - 🏆 87. / 68 Read more »