DES PLAINES, Ill., April 21, 2021 — The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the insurance industry’s association dedicated to predicting, preventing, and prosecuting insurance crime, is pleased to announce its inaugural podcast, The NICB Crime Examiner.
“With nearly 30 years of law enforcement background, I know that one of the best ways to keep from becoming a victim of crime is to be aware of how crimes are committed. The NICB Crime Examiner allows us to inform listeners about potential insurance crimes and scams and share advice to reduce the chances of becoming a victim,” said David Glawe, president and CEO of the NICB.
The NICB Crime Examiner focuses on insurance crime issues impacting the public, and how to stay ahead of the curve. In its inaugural episode, Auto Thefts and Carjackings: The Pandemic Effect, Glawe discusses the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the significant increase in auto thefts and carjackings across the country. NICB found that there were 873,080 auto thefts in 2020, a 9.2% increase over 2019, and recorded the most thefts for a single year in the past decade. Further, every month from June through December 2020 saw theft increases ranging from 11 to 18% over 2019.
Overall, 38 states witnessed increases in auto thefts in 2020 over 2019.
Future episodes will focus on all types of crime issues ranging from staged auto accidents, disaster fraud, and cybercrime.
“Insurance fraud and scams cost consumers directly and indirectly. The more people know about these scams, the more we can protect our individual financial resources,” said podcast host and NICB Vice President of Communications Brooke Kelley.
The NICB Crime Examiner podcast can be found on the NICB website, and users can subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever they like to listen.