The Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) has issued civil administrative orders carrying penalties of nearly $500,000 against five individuals and four companies for insurance fraud and acting as public adjusters without a license.
The administration noted in a press release that while many home repair and restoration services are honest and reliable, there are dishonest and predatory actors that lure homeowners into unnecessary or inflated repairs by suggesting that those repairs are covered by insurance. They then offer to act for the homeowner in negotiations with the insurer in violation of state licensing laws and often to the detriment of the consumer. Reports of these activities often follow disasters or storms and have spiked during the pandemic, the administration added in the release.
