This Grist article from the Disaster Economy series, “First came the wildfire. Then came the scams”, tells the story of how homeowners recovering from disasters can face a second wave of harm—not from fire or flood, but from predatory contractors. After a California wildfire, homeowner Craig Crosby was persuaded by a restoration company to sign what seemed like a harmless evaluation form. The company quickly escalated to costly and questionable work, later claiming tens of thousands of dollars in charges that his insurer never approved. When Crosby resisted payment, the contractor placed a mechanic’s lien on his home, jeopardizing his ability to recover. Similar cases from his neighbors reveal a broader pattern: disaster survivors are pressured into signing unclear contracts, billed for unnecessary or incomplete work, and often left fighting liens or inflated claims.

The article points out that more than a third of disaster survivors report experiencing some form of fraud, illustrating how common and damaging these practices are. Scams not only devastate individual families but also strain insurance systems, raising costs for everyone. Because disasters leave people vulnerable, stressed, and desperate to return to normalcy, they create conditions where fraudulent operators thrive. Regulatory safeguards and consumer protections vary widely, leaving many homeowners exposed at their most fragile moment.

This reporting is important because it reframes post-disaster home repair as not just a matter of rebuilding structures but also of safeguarding trust, transparency, and fairness. It underscores the urgent need for stronger oversight, clearer contracts, and reliable certification of contractors, ensuring that recovery efforts genuinely help survivors rebuild rather than deepen their losses.

Image credit: Grist.org