The Department of Justice announced Thursday that, along with Texas state and local law enforcement officials, it is establishing a “working group” to combat criminals who saw the devastating Hurricane Harvey as an opportunity.

The aftermath of the catastrophic flooding in Southeastern Texas produced stirring images of good Samaritans like the “Cajun Navy” rush to help fellow Americans in their time of need. But, as with any disaster, there have also been reports of criminals using the same circumstances to their advantage. At least 14 robbers and looters have been arrested for crime they thought would go unnoticed in the chaos. Even members of the Cajun Navy were forced to call off an operation after being shot at by looters in Houston, TX.

Less visible crime, including fraud and identity theft, can be expected as thousands are displaced from their homes. According to the DOJ, “Authorities are already receiving calls about scams in our area and have forwarded complaints to the relevant agencies.”

As a DOJ press release put it, “Natural disasters often bring out the best in human compassion and spirit, they can also lead to unscrupulous individuals and organizations taking advantage of those in need of and/or providing government services.”

Among the crimes the working group will target are:

Impersonation of federal law enforcement officials

Identity theft

Fraudulent submission of claims to insurance companies and the federal government

Fraudulent activity related to solicitations for donations and charitable giving

Fraudulent activity related to individuals and organizations promising high investment returns from profits from recovery and cleanup efforts

Price gouging

Theft, looting, and other violent crime

“This disaster has brought and will continue to bring unprecedented human and financial loss to our communities, and victims of this event have already suffered staggering devastation,” Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez of the District of Southern Texas said, announcing the new working group.

Martinez continued:

The last thing that victims of this damage need is to be victimized again. Under the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, we bring a comprehensive law enforcement focus to combat any criminal activity arising from the tragedy of Hurricane Harvey and the rebuilding efforts underway.

Participating agencies and officials include the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), Harris County District Attorney (DA) Kim Ogg; Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the SEC, FBI, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, ICE, the IRS, the U.S. Secret Service, FTC, and BATFE.

The announcement also contains instructions on how the public can help the new working group in its mission:

Consumers also can report scams and other consumer issues to the FTC and get help if they think they may be a victim of identity theft. The Disaster Fraud Hotline is 1-866-720-5721 and is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Members of the public can also send an email or fax information to 225-334-4707. In addition, the Texas Attorney General’s Office is asking Texans to please contact their Consumer Protection Division and file a complaint if they feel they have encountered price gouging or have been scammed or fall victim to a charities fraud. They can call the toll-free hotline at 800-621-0508, send an email or file a complaint on via the web.

A separate release dealt with the apparent rash of fraudulent charities seeking to take advantage of Americans trying to donate to those affected by Harvey. Breitbart News is encouraging readers interested in helping with the fallout from Harvey to make donations to reputable charities like the American Red Cross.