Contractor Fraud Awareness Week

Contractor Fraud Awareness Week May 20 - 24, 2024 #CFAW2024
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State Support

Proclamations

Support Across the Country Continues to Grow

States from across the nation have issued official proclamations to recognize NICB’s Contractor Fraud Awareness Week to draw attention to this important issue.

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  • Supported
  • Not Yet Supported
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Illinois

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Mississippi

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Massachusetts

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New Hampshire

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New York

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North Dakota

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South Carolina

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South Dakota

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Washington

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Wisconsin

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Resources

Do Your Research

NICB Fraud Resources After a Disaster

Becoming a victim of a disaster may be impossible to avoid. However, it's entirely possible to avoid dishonest contractors lurking in the wake of a disaster if you're equipped with the right information.

Disaster Fraud Resources Contractor Search Checklist

Checklist for Hiring A Contractor

NICTA On-Demand Courses

Catastrophe Fraud

This course on the identification and investigation of Catastrophe Fraud provides an overview of the indicators of this type of activity and shows the proper investigative steps to take when presented with a questionable claim involving a claim after a catastrophe.

*Registration is restricted to NICTA users.

Contractor, Vendor and Provider Fraud

Learn to spot the indicators and the various types of schemes used to defraud the insurance industry. 

*Registration is restricted to NICTA users.

Enroll Now

NICB Regional Contacts

Foreign Operations 891 Kuhn Drive, Suite 201
Chula Vista, CA 91914
t: 888.815.9064
f: 847.544.7624

Mid-Atlantic Region

William Woolf, Director of Operationswwoolf@nicb.org
Territory: D.C., Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia
12701 Fair Lakes Circle, Suite 275
Fairfax, VA 22033
t: 888.241.7159 or 703.222.6250, ext. 4
f: 703.222.6410

Midwest Region

Thomas Fabus, Jr., Director of Operationstfabus@nicb.org
Territory: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin
1111 E. Touhy Ave., Suite 400
Des Plaines, IL 60018
t: 800.447.6282
f: 847.544.7648

Northeast Region

Kevin Gallagher, Director of Operationskgallagher@nicb.org
Territory: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
145 Pinelawn Road, Suite 330 South
Melville, NY 11747
t: 888.241.8280 or 631.694.9201
f: 631.694.9236

Northwest Region

Dana MacDonald, Director of Operationsdmacdonald@nicb.org
Territory: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
3560 Bridgeport Way W, Suite 1D-9
University Place, WA 98466
t: 888.241.8130
f: 847.544.7909
Southeast Region Charlie Worsham, Director of Operationscworsham@nicb.org
Territory: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi
14025 Riveredge Dr., Suite 130
Tampa, FL 33637
t: 888.241.8270
f: 813.977.1525
Southwest Region Niambi Tillman, Director of Operationsntillman@nicb.org
Territory: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
1560 E Southlake Blvd., Suite 100
Southlake, TX 76092
t: 817.659.3397
f: 947.544.7212
West Region Bob Jones, Director of Operationsrjones@nicb.org
Territory: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada
Northern, Central and portions of Southern California
2001 Financial Way, Suite 100
Glendora, CA 91741
t: 888.815.9064 or 626.963.6058
f: 626.963.9374

State Resources

The more information you have to make a decision, the stronger it will be. The NICB encourages you to do your research before accepting offers for contractor services. If you need a contractor, it's important to use the resources available to you

View resources for the states below.

State Insurance Department Contractor Licensing Lookup
Alabama Department of Insurance State of Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board
Alaska Division of Insurance Corporations, Business & Professional Licensing
Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions Arizona Registrar of Contractors
Arkansas Insurance Department Arkansas State Government
California California Department of Insurance Contractors State License Board
Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies Secretary of State, Business Database Search
Connecticut Insurance Department Secretary of State, Business Records Search
Delaware Department of Insurance Department of Revenue
District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities, & Banking Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection
Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Florida Department of Business and Professional
Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Secretary of State, Licensing
Hawaii Insurance Contractor License Board
Idaho Department of Insurance Division of Building Safety
Illinois Department of Insurance Department of Financial & Professional Regulation
Indiana Department of Insurance Indiana Government
Iowa Insurance Division WorkForce Development
Kansas Insurance Department Consumer Protection Division
Kentucky Department of Insurance Secretary of State
Louisiana Department of Insurance Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors
Maine Bureau of Insurance Department of the Secretary of State
Maryland Insurance Administration Department of Labor
Massachusetts Division of Insurance Board of Building Regulations and Standards
Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Bureau of Professional Licensing
Minnesota Commerce Department Department of Labor and Industry
Mississippi Insurance Department MS State Board of Contractors
Missouri Department of Insurance Secretary of State, Business Registration
Montana Office of the Montana State Auditor, Insurance Department of Labor & Industry
Nebraska Department of Insurance Department of Labor
Nevada Department of Insurance State Contractors Board
New Jersey Department of Banking & Insurance Division of Consumer Affairs
New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance Regulation & Licensing Department
New York Department of Financial Services Department of State, Division of Corporations
North Carolina Department of Insurance Licensing Board for General Contractors
North Dakota Insurance Department Secretary of State
Ohio Department of Insurance Deparment of Commerce
Oklahoma Insurance Department Construction Industries Board
Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services Oregon Construction Contractors Board
Pennsylvania Insurance Department Home Improvement Contractor Registration
Puerto Rico Office of the Insurance Commissioner Department of State
Rhode Island Insurance Division Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board
South Carolina Department of Insurance Labor Licensing Regulation
South Dakota Division of Insurance Secretary of State, Business Information Search
Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance Department of Commerce & Insurance, Contractors & Home Improvement
Texas Department of Insurance Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
Utah Insurance Department Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
Vermont Department of Financial Regulation Office of Professional Regulation
Virginia State Corporation Commission Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner Washington Department of Labor and Industries
Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance Department of Safety and Professional Services
West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner Division of Labor
Wyoming Department of Insurance Secretary of State
U.S. Virginia Islands Division of Banking, Insurance & Financial Regulation Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs
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FAQs

Common Questions

Question Answer
What is Contractor Fraud Awareness Week?  Contractor Fraud Awareness Week is a program developed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau to highlight the problem of contractors and vendors that take advantage of disaster victims in the aftermath of a catastrophe.
How do contractors and vendors take advantage of catastrophe victims? 

Imagine you are sitting at home watching television, playing with the kids, having dinner with the family and then you hear someone banging on your front door. You go to answer it and it’s the police telling you there is a wildfire moving your way and you need to get out of the area immediately. You grab a few things quickly and shove what you can into your car, and start driving down the road filled with the cars of all your neighbors also all trying to leave and you take one last look back at your home not knowing if you will see it again. For a few days, maybe a week or in some cases more, you wonder what has happened to your home. And when you go home, you finally see what awaits you.

Following a wildfire, hurricane or tornado, victims are stressed and it’s at this time deceitful contractors try to take advantage of homeowners offering great sounding deals attempting to get your business. Believing you found an answer to your problems, you sign a contract with a contractor, a contract that may cost you and your insurer thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.

What can catastrophe victims do to prevent falling to one of these scammers? Information is key. Prior to any disaster, make certain you have a good relationship with your insurer. Your insurer contact will be your first line of defense against fraud. Additionally, again, before disasters, start building a list of contractors you feel could be good to hire should you need to. Take time and look up their contractor license, reviews, and Better Business Bureau information. Write up what you find and any notes or questions you think are important as a note to your future self. Email this information to yourself or another family member so that you can pull it up should you need to. The more information you have, the better decision you can make. 
 
After a disaster, be skeptical of a contractor that approaches you unsolicited, say they are approved by the government or conveniently work with your specific insurer all the time. Typically, that’s how these scams start. Ask for their contractor license and business card so that you can check them out. Avoid rushing into an agreement – there is no need to rush. If you have a contractor you are thinking of using, before signing anything, call your insurer and ask for advice about what to look for and information on the claims process. Also, download NICB’s Post-Disaster Contractor Search Checklist. This checklist will walk you through the recovery and rebuilding process and what to look for to avoid fraud.
How can I participate in Contractor Fraud Awareness Week?  Post-disaster fraud is a serious matter and the more voices we have to help spread word of the problem, the more we can flush out bad actors. You can help us by pushing out ways people could become more aware of this multi-billion-dollar problem. Have an experience to share? Share it. The more people know, the better.
Where can I go to get more information about Contractor Fraud Awareness Week and what I can do to avoid fraud?  For more information about Contractor Fraud Awareness Week, visit the NICB website and the Contractor Fraud Awareness Week web page. Also, you can get additional information from our CFAW partners Insurance Information Institute, Northwest Insurance Council, Rocky Mountain Insurance Association, Insurance Council of Texas, and the AARP. Listen to “The NICB Crime Examiner” podcast episode called ‘An Inside Look at Contractor Fraud’ with Amy Nofziger, Director of Victim Support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network. Visit our web page Disaster Fraud and Fraud Resources After a Disaster for additional information as well as our videos on contractor fraud.

 

 

 

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