After the Blizzard Watch Out For Shady Contractors

The blizzard may not be there yet, but there's one more threat that those living on the east coast need to watch out for: shady contractors, or "storm chasers," looking to make a fast buck using your homeowners insurance.

After a disaster, contractors will often go door-to-door in affected neighborhoods offering clean up, construction or other repair services. Most of these business people are reputable, but many are not. The dishonest ones may execute schemes to defraud innocent victims such as:

  • Pocketing the payment and never showing up for the job;
  • Never completing a job that was started; or
  • Using inferior materials and performing shoddy work that's not up to code.
Almost all of these scams are unsolicited—they begin with a knock on the door from a contractor seeking work. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) recommends that "if you didn't request it, reject it." If you have storm damage, call your insurance company first.

For more tips download our Disaster Fraud brochure here.

Anyone with information concerning insurance fraud or vehicle theft can report it anonymously by calling toll-free 800.TEL.NICB (800.835.6422) or submitting a form on our website.

About the National Insurance Crime Bureau: Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to combatting and preventing insurance crime through Intelligence, Analytics, and Operations; Education and Crime Prevention; and Strategy, Policy, and Advocacy. The NICB is supported by more than 1,200 property-casualty insurers, self-insureds, rental car, vehicle finance, and auto auctions. To learn more, visit www.nicb.org.