Editor's Note: There is a Venmo account, @Jake-Jarvis-13, linked at the bottom of this article enabling people to make a donation to this good Samaritan. WRAL News has been made aware that a fake Venmo account, @Jake-jarvis-13-, has been created using a similar username and the photo from this story. Please use caution if you make a donation. Verify you have the correct account,  @Jake-Jarvis-13, using the last four digits of Jarvis' phone number, 0017, to verify.

A hometown hero who has gone months without a paycheck helping Hurricane Helene victims rebuild is now facing his own disaster.

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Jake Jarvis spent months helping his neighbors in Henderson County recover from Hurricane Helene. Now he's out nearly $80,000 after falling for an online scam. 

Jarvis, the owner of Precision Grading, has spent the last five months clearing roads, building bridges and repairing homes in the area.

"FEMA and everybody, they’re working on the roads and the main river, [but] they’re not doing a lot for the small homeowners," Jarvis explained.

Jarvis has helped more than 100 families, many who are without insurance or government aid. He charged them nothing for his work or time. 

"I'm just doing what I think is the right thing to do," he said. 

The right thing is not always the easy thing. Jarvis hasn’t taken a salary since the day Hurricane Helene hit. He continues to pay his five-person staff and estimates the daily cost of operations to be around $3,500, all of it funded by donations. 

"Unfortunately I have noticed that the donations are starting to slack off because it’s old news, but it’s kind of scary," he said. "There is still so much to do out here."

Hoping to do more for the recovery, Jarvis recently dipped into his savings and wired $77,000 for a bulldozer he found online. The bulldozer was supposed to be coming from Texas, but when it was marked as delivered, it never showed up.

"It was really a kick," Jarvis said. 

Juliana O’Rork with the Better Business Bureau told WRAL 5 On Your Side that scammers often prey on people who need help and people who are trying to help in the aftermath of a disaster. To avoid becoming a victim, avoid paying for items or services upfront. Don't use your debit card, and research before you pay.

"If you were to make a down payment, make it on your credit card so if something were to happen you’d have some financial backing and protection," O’Rork said. "Don’t ever pay for a full project upfront."

The FBI is investigating the scam. Despite the financial constraints and dwindling resources, Jarvis remains undeterred in his mission.

"I would’ve never thought I would work for five months for no charge," he said. "But now that I’m doing it, I don’t know how I’ll ever go back to charging."

You can make a donation to Jarvis' efforts using Venmo account @Jake-Jarvis-13

PLEASE READ: @Jake-Jarvis-13 is the correct username to make a donation to this good Samaritan. WRAL News has been made aware that a fake Venmo account, @Jake-jarvis-13-, has been created using a similar username and the photo from this story. Please use caution if you make a donation. Verify you have the correct account,  @Jake-Jarvis-13, using the last four digits of Jarvis' phone number, 0017, to verify.

You can also mail a check to:

Precision Grading
99 Polaris Drive
Saluda, NC 28773

People who lost their homes to the storm can apply for FEMA assistance. Find out how you can help western NC rebuild from Hurricane Helene.     

WRAL 5 On Your Side spent a week in Buncombe, Yancy, Mitchell and McDowell counties to survey the damage done by Hurricane Helene, find out what’s being done and step in to help when needed. Look for these stories Feb. 17-21 on WRAL.com and WRAL-TV.