We’ve had many disasters in recent years, and predictions are that we’ll continue to see hurricanes and tornadoes affect our lives. Flooding is happening in areas of the country where it ‘never’ happened before. Wild fires continue to burn.
Fortunately, something is being done about the fraud. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has stated that the Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force has brought federal charges against 907 individuals across the country since Katrina affected so many lives in 2005. The Task Force’s responsibility is to deter, detect and prosecute those who try to take advantage of natural disasters.The Task Force processes complaints and coordinates with law enforcement agencies to initiate investigations. More than 26,000 disaster fraud complaints have been received and over 17,000 have been or are being investigated.
These are the wide-spread disasters, and this commission is addressing the fraud committed by people taking advantage of the disaster victims. But consider your individual policy. Many insurance agents have stated that fraud – whether the type investigated by the Task Force or those committed by the policy holders themselves - will encourage the insurance companies to be more stringent when reviewing insurance claims.
Why? Have you heard someone say that they stated their items were of higher value so they could – in their words – recover the deductible, too? We were told that someone claimed that all of his tools were top of the line; not one wrench or screwdriver was purchased at a discount store. Hard to believe!
When people file fraudulent claims, who do you think ends up paying for it in the long run? Everyone, through higher premiums. An insurance policy is to help you get back to where you were prior to your loss, not improve your way of life.
What can you do? Report suspected fraud. And have photographs and a list of the contents of your home or business so you can support any claim you might need to file.
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