Sandy Flood Vehicles May Wash Up in Distant States

Tips to avoid purchasing a flooded vehicle

With any significant flooding event many vehicles get inundated with water. Whether it's for a few hours or several days, exposure to water is unhealthy for a vehicle's electronic components. With the count of damaged vehicles from Sandy already at 230,000—the risk of flood vehicles entering the commerce stream as used vehicles is high. Even as programs like NICB's VINCheck and the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System have come online since Hurricane Katrina to prevent this sort of fraud, the possibility still exists for individuals to take flooded vehicles and resell them to unsuspecting consumers.

While the threat from this kind of scam is very real, consumers can protect themselves by following these tips.

Anyone with information concerning insurance fraud or vehicle theft can report it 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.