Recent Facebook posts promised a quick cash flow of $1,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“Hurry & fill out the application for FEMA assistance so you can get that $1,000 check next week!!!” one March 20 post said.
“FEMA GIVING OUT $1K,” another post said.
Both linked to the same nongovernmental website. That’s a red flag.
These posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
FEMA sent PolitiFact a statement that said the posts are false and should be reported.
“After a disaster, scam artists, identity thieves and other criminals often attempt to take advantage of disaster survivors,” the statement said. “We encourage survivors to watch for and report any suspicious activity.”
FEMA’s website has a page dedicated to disaster fraud and warns people not to share personal information “unless you are speaking with a verified FEMA representative.”
We rate these posts Pants on Fire!