Fraud in Florida

The state of Florida is definitely known for many things, and one of those things is bad storms! High winds, hard rain, hail, and more are many of the frequent natural disasters that hit Florida. Homeowners and business owners are constantly looking for contractors to help them when in need of damage repaired. But one thing Floridians need to be aware of is the scammers!

According to Schuppe (2002), there are local contractors knocking on doors offering to inspect homeowners’ roofs for storm damage. “They say they can help get a roof replacement covered by insurance, and they persuade the homeowners to sign away their rights to file the claims themselves. The contractors then file fraudulent damage claims, and when the insurance companies balk, the contractors sue” (para. 7).

As these scammers continue to prey on Floridians, increased insurance rates continue to skyrocket as the carriers are being heavily impacted by this. This is one of the leading factors for why carriers are fleeing the state of Florida. “Those (carriers) that remain have sought rate increases ranging from 15 percent to 96 percent and have become more selective about who they will cover” (para. 15).

Something needs to be done to address this urgent matter. In the meantime, Florida residents, please keep this scam in mind!



Reference:

Schuppe, Jon. (2022, May 21). Florida lawmakers Scramble to Fix a Property Insurance Crisis Before Hurricane Season. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/roofing-scams-florida-property-insurance-hurricane-rcna29649