Disaster scams should stay top of mind for Tampa Bay communities, even weeks after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.When youre trying to do the right thing, there are people who are taking advantage of that, said Abhishek Karnik, head of Threat Research and Intelligence for McAfee.Watch out for unlicensed contractors and repair fraud. Make sure you're still asking for all the necessary paperwork and never pay upfront.Make sure that you get enough documentation, proof from their own insurance, around their affiliation to the company that they claim to be, said Karnik.Continue to be aware of fake FEMA representatives, adjusters, or other government officials claiming to expedite your relief or insurance claim in exchange for personal information or payment.Government officials will never ask for money. Always verify their identity before sharing your personal information.Some of the more enticing guys will say, 'Hey, we already have a tie-up with your insurance company, and we will help you waive that insurance's upfront deductible if you come with us,' said Karnik.Fake charity solicitations will ramp up as we get closer to the holidays. Theyll claim to be part of hurricane relief efforts to help communities that are still rebuilding. Make sure you do your research before donating and use your credit card if you can.Theres a lot of AI-generated, fake images floating around. There were fake videos that we saw on YouTube, TikTok, and different channels which are essentially trying to spur up those emotions so that you make a quick donation and thats where you need to be careful, said Karnik.You want to make sure youre donating to trusted charitable houses. Therefore, not some random solicitation that came to you over text message, over phone calls, he added.Experts are still seeing disaster phishing scams, where crooks send malicious links via text or email to steal your personal information.It might end up actually being Malware. So it wont even be a donation scam. It could just be like a password stealer that is promising you some sort of information, document, whatever, and it actually comes and starts stealing your passwords, said Karnik.They could reach out to you through different means and scam you in different ways once they know youre gullible or susceptible, he added.If you do fall victim to a scam, report it to local authorities and the Federal Trade Commission.