NICB Combats Post-Disaster Contractor Fraud with New PSA

DES PLAINES, Ill., Oct. 17, 2019 — The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is issuing a new public service announcement (PSA) warning consumers about the dangers of unscrupulous contractors looking for ways to make a quick buck off homeowners.    

Click here to watch the 60-second PSA

Click here to watch the 30-second PSA 

Click here to download an infographic

 
While insurers pay billions of dollars a year to cover losses, sometimes those payments end up in the pockets of unscrupulous contractors. Those contractors, some who travel the country chasing storms, often solicit business door-to-door and prey on the elderly or other vulnerable victims to try to get them to sign a contract and hand over a payment. Then, they are never seen again, or fail to do the repairs as promised. As we are still in hurricane season and beginning the fall tornado season, we encourage policyholders to contact their insurance company or agent before hiring a contractor to do work.

These PSAs are available for use by media outlets and websites. There is both a 30 and 60-second version available in English and Spanish. These, along with our other PSAs, can be found on both our website and YouTube channel.

For anyone who needs access to raw files or audio files, please complete our media request form. 

If you’d like to learn more about contractor fraud, visit our webpage on how to avoid being a victim twice.