MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The state Attorney General’s Office has offered an advisory for Mountain State residents wishing to help with flood relief efforts in the southern part of the state.

West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey said residents across the state must be vigilant of scammers. This includes scammers who have worked to gain funds from donations or who have directly impacted victims of flooding through fake repair estimates.

“We know that we live in a place here in West Virginia where our citizens are more likely to help their neighbors than probably any other place in the entire world and because of that, fraudsters know that they can take advantage of the good-heartedness of the people in West Virginia,” he said.

According to McCuskey, reports from outside of the flood impact zones in southern West Virginia have stated that residents around the north central part of the state have received calls from scammers claiming to be from a charitable organization in an attempt to receive donations. This includes several scammers attempting to receive funds by claiming to be a part of newly established organizations, many of which also claimed to be associated with reputable groups such as the United Way and the American Red Cross. If that happens to any North Central West Virginia residents, McCuskey advises not directly giving them any information over the phone and cross-checking to see their credentials with the help of the West Virginia Secretary of State’s website.

“Make sure that the charity that you’re donating to is also reputable,” said McCuskey on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.” “You can also find them on the Secretary of State’s website, but you can also just make sure that the people you’re giving to have a long and reputable history of helping.”

For victims of flooding in the southern part of the state, McCuskey stated the majority of his reports heard from the State Attorney General’s Office have stemmed from fake contractors who offer to do remodeling services at incredibly high rates. Based on reports made to the State Attorney General’s Office, victims have been approached by non-licensed contractors in an attempt to bypass any long waits for home repairs, which for some victims was almost a total loss. For residents still working to recover, McCuskey warns to be wary of any non-certified contractor estimates, which could have financial impacts that would be hard to recover from.

“We are urging all people who have been affected by this flood to make sure the people that you are contracting are registered,” said McCuskey. “Go on the Secretary of State’s website, find their business license, and make sure that these folks are real, because we know that scammers and fraudsters always come out of the woodwork after these kinds of things.”

In order to avoid such scamming attempts, McCuskey advises Mountain State residents to do a combination of due diligence and common sense before giving away their hard-earned dollars. Not only does this include a full list of reputable charitable organizations listed on the West Virginia Secretary of State’s website, but also a list of licensed contractors that is available through the West Virginia Department of Labor. With several avenues to gain more information, but supported and not supported by the state, McCuskey warns Mountain State residents to use caution before sending money if you want to help flood victims.

“Commonsense is one of those phrases that is very easy to define when you’re not in a hyper-stressful situation,” said McCuskey. “And so, what we really need is for people to take a deep breath and make sure the people you’re working with are reputable,” he said.