On November 9, 2012, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a consumer alert about possible scams taking place in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The IRS informs taxpayers and the public generally about the existence, in the aftermath of major disasters, of scam artists and other fraudulent actors impersonating philanthropic organizations, charities, and the IRS, in order to obtain money or private information from unsuspecting taxpayers and consumers.