Extra Fee on a Derecho

On August 10, 2020 a derecho struck the Iowa area.  This weather event caused a lot of property damage and resulted in a significant number of associated property loss claims. It is alleged that shortly after this weather event an insurance agent began to contact several of his clients and demand a $1,000.00 cash ‘deductible’ or ‘extra fee’ be paid directly to him. One client contacted the Insurance company directly to ask if this was proper procedure. A SIU from that member company was assigned and reached out to NICB. They both contacted local law enforcement and the Iowa DOI.  A local police detective acted quickly, communicated with SIU, and then interviewed a party that had scheduled to meet with the agent for the $1,000.00 cash payment. The Detective sat back on the residence, watched the agent enter and then walk out, the Detective then stopped the agent a few blocks away and seized the $1,000.00 cash and several other pieces of evidence. To date the agent has been arrested on this one offense; it is suspected that there will be several more victims of this possible scam.