GoFundMe gives scam-spotting guidelines following deadly tornadoes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several tornadoes touched down in Missouri on Friday, destroying homes, businesses and schools, prompting victims to create GoFundMe accounts asking for donations to cover disaster relief.

Severe weather events also prompt scammers to lurk and take advantage of a desperate situation.

There are several guidelines to use when trying to determine whether a fundraiser is legitimate.

According to GoFundMe, the fundraiser page should answer:

• How is the organizer related to the intended recipient of the donations?
• What is the purpose of the fundraiser, and how will the funds be used?
• Are direct family and friends making donations and leaving words of support?
• Is the intended recipient in control of the withdrawals? If not, is there a clear path for the funds to reach them?

If those questions cannot be answered, GoFundMe says to contact the organizer directly by clicking "contact" and messaging them.

GoFundMe also recommends asking yourself questions before donating:

• Does the GoFundMe include intentionally misleading or factually incorrect information?
• Are the funds not being used for the stated purpose within a reasonable time (including withholding funds from the beneficiary)?
• Is the GoFundMe impersonating someone else and/or copying their story?
• Is the page violating any of GoFundMe's terms and conditions?

If you feel the page is not legitimate, you can report it to GoFundMe.

GoFundMe told ABC 17 News in an email on Monday afternoon that it is working to verify each account is related to the storms.

The Phelps County Sheriff's Department said in a Facebook post on Saturday that it has received reports of people posing as Federal Emergency Management Agency employees and falsely claiming there is a disaster declaration and asking for personal information.

It is important to remember not to provide any personal information and to always verify the identity of anyone requesting sensitive information, the department says.

Roofing scams also tend to pick up when severe weather hits an area.

Experts say there are several red flags to keep an eye out for:

• A roofing company will never show up at your front door or contact you to do work.
• High-pressure sales tactics
• Large upfront payments or cash only deals.
• If someone says they can waive your deductible it could likely be insurance fraud.

Owner of Absolute Roofing and Exteriors Jared Steel says you should hire a local company.

"Stay local, if you never heard of the company before they are probably not from around here so if its not one of the companies you know the name of it is probably better to stay away," Steel said.

There are several ways you can protect yourself from a scam.

• Get multiple estimates from several companies
• Get a written contract
• Look up a company's business rate on BBB.org
• Never pay the full price upfront