When it made landfall late last month, Hurricane Helene produced tremendous wreckage and devastation in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm, is now en route to hit Florida on Wednesday.

Thousands of households are facing property damage and an increasing death toll. What's worse, fraudsters and scam artists are capitalizing on the disaster to take advantage of vulnerable residents. Some of these schemes attempt to get victims to part with their money. Others try to extract sensitive information in order to engage in identity theft.   

According to a recent release by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, "Criminals may try to get information by pretending to be disaster workers. Scam artists may try to apply for FEMA assistance using names, addresses and Social Security numbers they have stolen from people affected by the disaster." 

While some scams may be obvious, criminals can be crafty about disguising their activities. Here are some examples of the reported post-hurricane scams and ways to protect yourself. 

Home repair and tree removal scams

Government officials are warning about tree removal and home repair scams targeting Hurricane Helene victims. According to Georgia's Office of the Attorney General, scammers and fake contractors known as "storm chasers" may request upfront payments for services related to home improvements or charge you for unnecessary repairs. 

Door-to-door salesmen offering home repairs or upgrades may often offer to pay the homeowner's home insurance deductible to sweeten the pot before jacking up costs for any home repairs they complete. 

According to the Federal Communications Commission, a fraudulent contractor could also ask homeowners for sensitive personal information under the guise of helping them file an insurance claim, or even claim to be a partner with insurance companies. The FCC says you should never give out policy information to a third party you haven't entered into a contract with. 

Homeowners should always speak with their insurance company before agreeing to work with a contractor. It's also smart to check for customer reviews and complaints on the Better Business Bureau website.