The Indicator from Planet Money How to avoid scammers after a natural disaster
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Nov 19, 2025 Navina Sadasabam, a Grist reporter focused on the disaster economy, discusses the insidious rise of contractor scams post-natural disasters. She shares the harrowing story of Craig Crosby, whose home was devastated by wildfire and subsequently exploited by unscrupulous contractors. The conversation unveils the tactics these scammers use, including misleading sales pitches and confusing insurance claims. Navina offers vital tips for homeowners to safeguard themselves, such as getting multiple bids and confirming communications with insurers.
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Disaster Recovery Is A Lucrative Fraud Market
- Disaster recovery creates a lucrative market for contractor fraud, with estimates of about 10% of post-disaster spending lost to scams.
- High damages and urgent demand make the recovery period especially attractive to bad actors.
Fire Recovery Turned Legal Nightmare
- Craig Crosby returned home after a wildfire to find his house and orchard destroyed and accepted help from a franchised cleanup crew.
- That initial inspection escalated into extensive work and a $62,000 bill when the company claimed insurance approval.
Insurer Approval Was False Claim
- Craig believed the franchise had insurer approval and allowed extensive remediation because the workers represented that as normal procedure.
- Later his agent said the insurer never signed off and had blacklisted the franchise, triggering liens and lawsuits.