The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering disaster loans for businesses and residents in Florida impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Did you get a bill for a Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan or COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) you never applied for? If the answer is yes, an identity thief probably used your personal information to get the loan.

The U.S. Small Business Administration on Tuesday added Flagler County to the list of counties eligible for business and home disaster loans in the aftermath of Ian.

WASHINGTON After prodding from Democratic lawmakers, the Trump administration has agreed to give Congress but not the public complete data on the millions of small businesses that received loans from a $600 billion-plus coronavirus aid program. Their concession came with a warning to lawmakers not to divulge confidential loan information to the wider public. Last week, the Treasury Department and SBA relented to pressure from lawmakers and watchdogs and agreed to publicly disclose details on which businesses received loans under the program. Under the new agreement, the agencies will provide the complete data on loans of all sizes to the congressional oversight panels. Economists have said the small business loan program has helped, though its hard to know by how much.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin speaks during a Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing to examine implementation of Title I of the CARES Act, Wednesday, June 10, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mnuchin, testifying before the Senate Small Business Committee, said the administration plans to spend the next 30 days looking at what measures should go in the next relief bill. There is no question that small businesses in many industries will need more help, Mnuchin said. Small businesses and larger businesses are going to need more help.New support measures will need to encourage business owners to rehire workers, especially those in the hardest hit industries like restaurants and travel, he said. The applications require more paperwork from small businesses than the paycheck protection loans.

But, while you’re focused on getting a loan, scammers may be focused on you: hoping to trick you into giving them sensitive business information, like your bank account numbers, employees’ Social Security numbers, and even your money. Here are some “dos” and “don’ts” to help you stay clear of scammers as you apply for a small business loan. You don’t have to pay up front to get an SBA loan. The SBA won’t call unsolicited to find out information about you or your business, or to ask you to apply for a loan. It’s a The SBA won’t call unsolicited to find out information about you or your business, or to ask you to apply for a loan.

Agent shows chart of how SBA loan money was dispensed, how it was spent. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.