Mike Jones Number 281-330-8004 Used in Hurricane Ian Relief Scam

Hurricane Ian was one of them the strongest storms in US history to landed on the coast of Floridat. In the Fort Myers area alone, houses were ripped from their slabs and debris was strewn across the city’s streets.

Businesses near the beach were completely destroyed, leaving behind twisted wreckage. Broken docks floated next to damaged boats, and fires smouldered on lots where houses once stood.

Federal response services from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) working alongside the National Guard and other deployed help with cleaning and rescue missions.

After Hurricane Jan, viral posts on facebook said each could receive up to $3,000 and all expenses paid if they travel to Florida to help with the cleanup.

“Storm clean up job in Tampa FL $3000 a week they pay room and board‼️thank me later 281-330-8004 ask for Mike” one Facebook post with 59,000 shares said.

More from VERIFY: No, homeowners and renters insurance generally does not cover flood damage from hurricanes

Are viral Facebook posts claiming someone can get paid to help with Hurricane Yang relief legitimate?

No, Facebook posts claiming that someone can receive money for Hurricane Ian relief are illegal.

Viral posts circulating on Facebook are known as copypaste memes. Copypasta is Internet slang for a block of text that is copied and pasted repeatedly.

The phone number listed in the memes is not related to Hurricane Ian relief at all; this is the phone number made famous by rapper Mike Jones.

Jones used the number, which was his real number, in many of his song lyrics; specifically his 2005 song “Back Then.” In 2020, he wrote on Instagram that it was his phone number again.

Here some another examples if the phone number was used in memes.

When VERIFY tried to call and send a text message to this number, the phone number was not in service.

Although these reports are not legitimate, there are still ways to help victims of Hurricane Ian. Here are some resources:

• The Florida Disaster Fund is the official private foundation of the State of Florida created to assist Florida communities in the aftermath of a disaster. Volunteer and donation opportunities can be found on the website.
• Red Cross has information about how to help.
• Disaster Relief at Work (DRAW) has people on the ground and accepts donations and consumables.
• Hope projectanother humanitarian organization, is also accepting donations and has called for volunteers, especially health workers, to help.

In an email to VERIFY, Project Hope officials said that similar memes are seen during almost every disaster, and that they are not aware of any organizations offering compensation for relief assistance.

The Department of Labor and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued advisories warning people to be cautious and safe when assisting in rescue or relief efforts.

To report suspected fraud related to Hurricane Ian, call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline toll-free at 1-866-720-5721. If you need to report other scams during or after a disaster, call FEMA at 1-866-720-5721 or disaster@leo.gov.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.