Legal Update: Wildfire Victim Fraud, Wildfire Employment Issues

KPBS | By KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published November 6, 2007 at 9:23 AM PST

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

Amongst the outpour of support in the wake of the San Diego County wildfires, price gouging, identity theft and Internet crimes can re-victimize those who lose everything in the destruction. These Day

Tom Fudge: The fires that swept across San Diego County two weeks ago brought out the best in a lot of people. Some San Diegans volunteered their time, homes, money and possessions to help fire victims. But the fires also brought out some scam artists. In fact, yesterday, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis announced that she thinks she's caught some of them. The D.A. charged eight people with offering rebuilding services to fire victims without a license. The alleged crime is a felony.

To report suspected price gouging: Call the California Attorney General's office (800) 952-5225.

To report suspected Internet crimes related to the disasters and for further information about such crimes: The FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center have a Web site where you can find further information about Internet crimes specifically related to disasters such as the wildfires. For more information, visit the Internet Crime Complaint Center .

For information about employer and employee wage obligations and rights for absences related to the wildfires: The Web site of the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, which enforces the state's wage laws, is www.dir.ca.gov/dlse .

The lawyer hotline for those fire victims unable to afford a lawyer: Created for this purpose by the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the State Bar of California and the law firm of Foley & Lardner LLP, the hotline number is (866) 636-9041 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. According to the press release the ABA issued about this hotline, the kind of legal help available includes: (1) assistance in getting FEMA and other government benefits for disaster victims; (2) assistance with insurance claims; (3) landlord tenant problems; (4) replacement of important legal documents destroyed in the fire.

For San Diego lawyers interested in being trained to help fire victims with their legal issues: The training is at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 6 at the San Diego County Bar Association building at 1333 Seventh Ave. To reserve a space at the training and complete a volunteer information form, interested attorneys should visit the Bar Association's Web site .

To check out the legitimacy of a charity asking for donations to assist wildfire victims: The California Attorney General's office has a Web site where you can review information about a charity. That web address is caag.state.ca.us/charities .

San Diego District Attorney's Insurance Fraud Division
www.sandiegoda.com
Phone: (800) 315-7672

California Department of Insurance
(800) 927-HELP (4357)

San Diego Better Business Bureau
http://www.sandiego.bbb.org

Guest

Dan Eaton, attorney and These Days legal analyst.