DES PLAINES, Ill., November 10, 2020 — The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is issuing a new public service announcement (PSA) warning consumers about the dangers of devious contractors looking for ways to make a crooked buck off homeowners.
“It’s unfortunate that after disasters when hundreds—if not thousands—of people are simply trying to put their homes and lives back together, we see so many untrustworthy contractors and others taking advantage of disaster victims,” said NICB President and CEO David Glawe. “It’s a scary predicament when a home is damaged or destroyed. We want to help people get back on their feet, and not become a victim for the second time. We believe these PSAs are a step toward that objective and can help warn homeowners of the dangers they may face in the aftermath of storm.”
While insurers pay billions of dollars a year to cover losses, sometimes those payments end up in the pockets of misleading contractors. Those contractors, some who travel the country chasing disasters, 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.
These PSAs are available for use by media outlets and websites. There are 30- and 60-second versions available. The PSAs are can be found on the NICB PSA platform.
To learn more about contractor fraud and disaster tips, visit our webpage Fraud Resources After a Disaster.