Number of Claims Filed For Hurricane Ian Near 475K

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has issued an advisory that policyholders should be on the lookout for scammers, as the number of insurance claims filed related to Hurricane Ian hits nearly half a million.

The anti-fraud group has identified 471,581 claims as of October 24, 2022, that are related to the latest hurricane event. Most of the claims (431,702), the NICB has noted, were reported in Florida.

It was also found that 272,465 of the claims in Florida were for homeowners and business insurance policyholders, and the remaining 151,892 were for personal auto claims.

The numbers out of Florida are of concern, as the state struggles to grapple with rampant fraud. The issue is so pressing that lawmakers are calling for a second special session to address the issue, on top of Florida’s high insurance costs.

NICB has advised that while Ian caused substantial damage to homes, businesses, and vehicles, policyholders must ‘take their time and not try to accelerate the rebuilding process in order to avoid being scammed.’