State insurance regulators and county prosecutors are deploying teams to areas affected by the disastrous fires in Los Angeles County to prevent — and prosecute — insurance fraudsters targeting wildfire survivors.
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman are partnering to dispatch teams to hold workshops in the Los Angeles area to help survivors understand their insurance policies and identify fraud by contractors and vendors.
“Scammers exploit vulnerable times, preying on survivors with false promises and fraudulent schemes,” Lara said in a statement. “We’ve seen this in past wildfires.”
Hochman, in a statement, said prosecutors are already vigilant about possible scams.
“You will not get away with impersonating insurance companies in order to steal from wildfire victims,” Hochman said. “Our office is on high alert for insurance scams and we will relentlessly pursue and seek the maximum punishment for the criminals who seek to exploit the victims of L.A. County fires.”
For 10 days, Los Angeles has been devastated by fires that have scorched thousands of acres and leveled entire neighborhoods.
The Palisades fire has burned 23,713 acres and destroyed 3,501 structures since Jan. 7. The Eaton fire, which started hours later, has burned another 14,117 acres and destroyed 7,193 structures. At least 27 people are confirmed dead from the two blazes.
Firefighters are still working to fully contain the two fires, but some residents have been allowed to return home, with many of them finding only ash and rubble.
The FBI warned Thursday that scammers would likely try to exploit the disaster, a pattern that officials have seen happen in past mass casualty incidents.
“Scammers may pose as disaster relief agencies to collect personal information, conduct charitable fraud schemes, or commit fraud against disaster assistance programs,” the alert read. “Scammers take advantage of catastrophic incidents.”
On Thursday the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection also issued an alert that indicated that fake social media pages were surfacing online, purporting to be Cal Fire accounts and asking for donations.
“CAL FIRE does not solicit donations from the public, either in person or online,” the statement read.
On Friday, officials announced they would be deploying Department of Insurance’s Disaster Assistance Response Teams, or DART, to areas affected by the fires. The teams are set to work with the Contractors State License Board and other agencies to help residents learn about their rights, as well as to confirm that contractors and vendors are licensed. Many homeowners are starting to deal with the aftermath of the damage, including beginning the insurance claims and rebuilding process.
Officials have been issuing warnings about possible scams and fraudsters, a common occurrence after a natural disaster.
The department has arrested suspected fraudsters in past wildfires, including one person who falsely claimed to be an attorney, filed claims and kept settlement checks, according to the agency.
The department is hosting two-day workshops for residents in the Santa Monica and Pasadena area to guide survivors through insurance policies and claims process.
The Santa Monica event is scheduled for Jan. 18 and 19, and the Pasadena event is set for Jan. 25 and 26. Residents can also call (800) 927-4357 to schedule one-on-one appointments with a department expert.
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