ORLANDO, Fla. – Palma Granata-Kline said she knew something was wrong when she applied for FEMA financial assistance online and a duplicate application alert hit her computer screen.
Kline, a veteran insurance adjustor, told News 6 she had seen her share of fraud and deception in her over 30 years of investigations in New Jersey, and when her application was deemed a duplicate she called the FEMA Fraud division immediately.
“When I confirmed the phone number and direct deposit information was not my husband’s she (the FEMA investigator) stopped dead in her tracks and said it was fraud,” Kline told News 6.
The clue to the application was in the details, her husband’s personal information from birthday to address were all accurate but the bank routing number and their phone number with area code 609 were wrong.
FEMA spokesman Peter Sessum told News 6 the application has been “flagged” and no funds have been released.
“They are actually investigating that," Sessum told News 6, “It’s not worth it because with Florida laws you can spend up to 30 years in jail and pay up to $250 thousand fine.”
Kline said her husband did fill out a credit application to replace the air conditioning unit destroyed by Hurricane Irma exactly one day before the FEMA application was filed.
FEMA’s Washington office told News 6 there are thousands of fraud investigations underway currently in Florida. Some may end up being simple mistakes; and some may be intentional fraud.
Anyone who suspects fraudulent activity is asked to report it in one of three ways:
• Contact the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at
800-323-8603, TTY 844-889-4357.
• Online at the OIG’s website, www.oig.dhs.gov, fax to 202-254-4297 or mailed to: DHS Office of Inspector General: Mail Stop 0305; Department of Homeland Security; 245 Murray Drive SW; Washington DC 20528-0305.
• Survivors can also call FEMA’s Office of the Chief Security Officer tip line at
866-223-0814 or email to FEMA-OCSO-Tipline@fema.dhs.gov.
Calls may be answered by a recorded message. The caller will be asked a few questions. That information will be entered into a system and assigned to a field investigator, according to FEMA. If the caller left a name and phone number, it will be the investigator who will call back, not the person who took the call. An inspector has 90 days to verify the complaint.
Any applicant who has made a mistake when reporting damage or has misrepresented losses has the opportunity to correct or cancel their claim. Individuals need to call the FEMA Helpline (800-621-3362) for voice or 711 VRS, or 800-662-7585 for TTY to withdraw or correct an application and prevent prosecution.
For more recovery information, visit www.FEMA.gov/IrmaFL, or follow us @FEMARegion4 on Twitter and on FEMA’s Facebook page.