An specialist on insurancecoverage scams is caution Florida homeowners whose residentialorcommercialproperties were harmed by Hurricane Ian to be cautious of frauds, particularly from building employees who might ask propertyowners to indication over insurancecoverage advantages for a fast repair.
Gina Clausen Lozier, an insurancecoverage lawyer for 15 years who specializes in scams cases, informed USA TODAY that houseowners must veryfirst work with their insurancecoverage business to file damage claims.
“There will be a lot of unimportant individuals assembling in the location,” she stated. “If it sounds too excellent to be real, it mostlikely is.”
At least 13 individuals were reported dead in counties throughout the state, a number that’s anticipated to increase dramatically. Sheriffs in southwest Florida stated 911 centers were swamped by thousands of stranded callers, some with lethal emergencysituations. More than 2.6 million houses and organizations were without power Thursday.
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Millions are without power after Hurricane Ian blasted through Florida, damaging houses and flooding streets.
Claire Hardwick, Storyful
Clausen Lozier, likewise a member of the Florida Property and Casualty Insurance Fraud Task Force, stated lawmakers the past coupleof years haveactually passed brand-new steps to fracture down on dishonest, out-of-state buildingandconstruction employees who have converged on Florida after natural catastrophes.
Spotting insurancecoverage scams
Clausen Lozier stated typical rip-offs consistof:
►Construction companies convincing propertyowners to “sign project of advantages” in exchange for instant repairwork. That has permitted those companies to acquire claim funds from insuranceproviders, which might be above the real expense of the work.
“If you an task of advantages, they action in your shoes and you might not comprehend what you are offering up,” she stated. “You might get more cash from an insurancecoverage business. …There is no factor to offer away a part of your cash.”
►Companies lookingfor to change a claim, the procedure of figuringout protection, legal liability