Auto insurers beware – America’s thieves are increasingly targeting your clients’ tailgates, and it is happening more frequently in particular parts of the country.
A new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) details that insured tailgate thefts rose from 831 in 2012 to 1,090 in 2013 – an increase of 31 %.
Tailgates are easy to steal, far easier than swiping an entire vehicle and the high cost of replacing them has fuelled underground demand.
“If a car can be 'gone in 60 seconds,' a tailgate can disappear in 15,” said Frank Scafidi, the insurance bureau's spokesman.
The black market for tailgates is surging with many of them being purchased on sites such as Ebay and Craigslist and ending up on similar vehicles, or sold for scrap.
Every state besides South Dakota had at least one reported tailgate theft claim. Texas led the way for theft claims with 752, 39 % of the national total.
California had the second highest number of claims with 344 and Arizona ranked third with 207 claims.
Unsurprisingly, in terms of individual cities Texas has three of the top five in the United States with Houston leading the way with 145 claims, San Antonio in second with 125 claims and Dallas in third reporting 91 claims.
Providers can suggest purchasing anti-theft tailgate locking devices as a way for their clients to deter thieves. These devices lock the hinge mechanism, and can either have a manual or electronic locking component.
Additionally, identifying insurance fraud is becoming an ever-pressing issue as the number of claims continues to rise. “It’s hard to know how much activity is fraud. We encourage companies to follow standard procedures and practices they have found to work in the past,” said Scafidi.
The NICB also encouraged brokers and agents to get their clients to download the new Fraud Tips app, developed by CitizenObserver. Individuals can also report information concerning fraud by calling their toll-free 800-TEL-NICB (800-835-6422), texting ‘fraud’ to TIP411 (847411) or submit a form to their online site.
