Global Navigation
Office of The Attorney General
The State of New Jersey Office of The Attorney General (Dept. of Law & Public Safety) The State of New Jersey NJ Home Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Home
OAG Contact
spacer
Back to News Releases
OAG Home Attorney General's Biography
Attorney General's Biography
spacer spacer spacer
   
 
spacer spacer spacer
spacer spacer spacer
For Immediate Release: For Further Information:
May 9, 2014

Office of The Attorney General
- John J. Hoffman, Acting Attorney General
Media Inquiries-
Lisa Ryan (NJ DCA)
609-292-6055
Jeff Lamm or
Neal Buccino
973-504-6327
     

Citizen Inquiries-

609-984-5828
spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
New Jersey Attorney General, Department of Community Affairs Warn Sandy Recovery Participants of Potential Scams
spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
Trenton, NJ –Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman and Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Richard E. Constable III today warned Sandy recovery program participants to be cautious when contacted by home visit, email, or phone from individuals purporting to represent the programs – especially if those individuals ask for money transfers or personal financial data.

“Our Statewide Sandy Fraud Working Group is pursuing aggressive criminal and civil actions against those who allegedly sought illegal profits in the wake of this national disaster. But the best protection against fraud is the vigilance and awareness of our citizens. Never give money or personal information to someone who claims to represent the State’s Sandy recovery programs. If someone seeks to access your home for an inspection, do not let them in without first verifying their legitimacy,” Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said.

The Department of Community Affairs has received several reports from Sandy recovery program participants who said they were visited at their homes by individuals claiming to be representatives of the recovery programs, and who requested access to their homes.

Other program participants reported receiving home visits, phone calls, or emails, also from individuals who claimed to be program representatives and who asked for money transfers or personal financial information.

“It is outrageous that there are those who seek to illegally profit from the suffering caused by a natural disaster,” said Commissioner Constable. “There are a number of simple precautions that homeowners and tenants can take to protect themselves from the unscrupulous. A basic rule of thumb to remember is that all significant transfer of important information takes place at one of our Housing Recovery Centers. Be cautious of anyone seeking a transaction that does not take place at one of these centers.”

Commissioner Constable noted that there are no fees to enroll or participate in any Sandy recovery program. Representatives of the State’s Sandy recovery programs will not ask for payments during a home visit or via phone or email. Simply ask the person to leave your home, hang up the phone, or ignore any email that asks for payment.

Commissioner Constable also noted that legitimate representatives of the State’s Sandy recovery programs may need to access the homes of program participants. However, any legitimate program representative who conducts home inspections will have proper photo ID. Participants should therefore demand that the person show his or her photo ID.

Program participants who have any doubts or questions about someone who claims to represent the Sandy recovery programs should call the following hotlines:

If your program manager is CBI-Shaw, call 855-287-7736 to identify the person scheduled to inspect your home.

If your program manager is Gilbane, call 609-671-4200 to identify the person scheduled to inspect your home.

If you do not know who your program manager is, contact your Housing Recovery Center or your Housing Advisor. If you have not yet been assigned a housing advisor or a program manager, or if you have any questions, contact the Sandy call center at 1-800-SandyHM (1-800-726-3946).

To report suspected fraud, call the Attorney General’s Statewide Sandy Fraud Hotline, 855-SANDY39 (855-726-3939) or visit www.StopSandyFraud.org.

New Jersey’s Statewide Sandy Fraud Working Group, within the Office of the Attorney General, is New Jersey’s central clearinghouse for data-gathering, investigation, and prosecution of civil and criminal fraud related to Superstorm Sandy and the disaster recovery process.

Since March, the Attorney General’s Office – working with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and federal partners, including HUD, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Small Business Administration – has brought criminal charges against six homeowners who allegedly filed fraudulent applications for federal Sandy relief funds. Those efforts to detect and aggressively prosecute fraud in Sandy relief programs are continuing.

spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
 
 
Contact OAG About OAG
OAG News OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Library Employment
OAG Grants Proposed Rules
OAG History OAG Services A-Z
OAG Agencies / Programs / Units
Other News Pages Otras Noticias en Español Division of NJ State Police Division of Law News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Gaming Enforcement News
NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News

free PDF plugin

NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News
   
Contact Us | Privacy Notice | Legal Statement | Accessibility Statement
NJ Home Logo
Departmental: OAG Home | Contact OAG | About OAG | OAG News | OAG FAQs
Statewide: NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Copyright © State of New Jersey
This page is maintained by OAG Communications. Comments/Questions: email or call 609-292-4925
OAG Home OAG Home NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News Click to Enlarge Image Click to Enlarge Image Click to Enlarge Graphic Click to enlarge chart Click to enlarge map Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge