The January 2026 winter storm hit hard. Ice, snow, power outages. Canceled flights. Damaged roofs. Hundreds of thousands of people across the South and East Coast are still recovering.

And right on cue, the scammers showed up.

The FTC issued a warning this week about a wave of fake utility messages hitting storm-affected areas. Here's what people are seeing:

Texts and calls claiming to be from power companies, offering to "restore your service faster" if you pay a fee or verify your account info. Emails about flight cancellations that link to fake rebooking sites. Contractors knocking on doors, promising quick repairs, taking cash up front, and disappearing.

Pennsylvania's Attorney General put it plainly: "Scammers don't take snow days."

What to watch for:

Fake utility contacts. Your power company will never text you a link to "speed up restoration." If you get a message like that, don't click. Go directly to your utility's website or call the number on your bill.

Door-to-door "contractors." Be suspicious of anyone who shows up uninvited offering to fix storm damage. Ask for a license, insurance, and a written contract. If they want cash up front and won't provide paperwork, walk away.

Travel rebooking scams. If your flight was canceled, don't click links in emails or texts. Go directly to the airline's website or app. Scammers are spinning up fake customer support pages that look real.

The FBI says charity and disaster-relief fraud spikes after every major storm. If someone asks you to donate, verify the organization through sites like give.org or charitynavigator.org before you give.

Here's a pattern worth remembering: every time there's a crisis, scammers show up.

Hurricane? Scammers pose as FEMA. Wildfire? Fake contractors. Pandemic? Bogus vaccine appointments. Winter storm? Utility impersonators.

They know you're stressed. They know you're in a hurry. They know you just want things to go back to normal.

That's exactly why they move fast.

When something big happens, whether it's a storm, an outage, or a national emergency, slow down. Assume that anyone reaching out to "help" might not be who they say they are. Verify everything through official channels.

Scammers love chaos. Don't let them use it against you.

If the storm damaged your home and you're searching for a temporary place to stay, be careful where you look.

Scammers know that people displaced by disasters need housing fast. They post fake rental listings on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and other sites with photos stolen from real listings. The price is suspiciously reasonable. The landlord is "out of town" but happy to rent to you sight unseen.

They just need a deposit first. Wire it over, and they'll send the keys.

Except there are no keys. There's no rental. The "landlord" disappears with your money.

How to protect yourself:

Never pay a deposit before seeing a rental in person and meeting the landlord or property manager. If they won't meet you, it's a red flag.

Reverse image search the listing photos. If the same photos appear on other sites with different addresses or prices, it's fake.

Be suspicious of prices that seem too low for the area. Scammers bait with deals that are hard to resist.

Never wire money or pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency, or payment apps for a rental deposit. Use a check or credit card so you have some recourse if things go wrong.

The FTC flagged this one again on January 28th. It's an old trick, but it's still working.

You get a text or email that looks like it's from your boss. They say they need you to run an errand. Buy some gift cards for a company event, a client thank-you, or some other reason. They'll pay you back later, they promise.

They ask you to scratch off the back and send them the numbers.

It's not your boss. It's a scammer.

Once you share those gift card numbers, the money is gone. No real employer, government agency, or legitimate business will ever ask you to pay with gift cards. Ever.

What to do: If you get a request like this, don't reply. Contact your boss directly using a phone number or email you already have. Not the one in the message.

Not sure if that message from your "utility company" is real? Paste it into ScamRank and get your Trust Signal in seconds.

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If a text feels off, check it. If an email looks suspicious, check it. If someone's asking for money or personal info, check it first.

It takes only seconds. And it could save you from a scam that costs a lot more.

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