With extreme storms becoming the “new normal” in the U.S.,insurance fraud experts are warning insurance agents about how toadvise their customers—especially the elderly–about an increase inbogus repair work by shady contractors.

Most home contractors are honest. But extreme weather willattract more shady operators whose bogus repairs can costhomeowners thousands of dollars, according to the Coalition Against InsuranceFraud, an alliance of consumer groups, insurance companies andgovernment agencies.

A new report by Environment America, basedon data from the National Climatic Data Center, finds that extremerainstorms and snowstorms in the U.S. are happening 30 percent morefrequently on average since 1948. Heavy downpours that used tohappen once every 12 months on average now happen every 9 months onaverage. Moreover, the biggest storms are getting bigger. Thelargest annual storms nationwide now produce 10 percent moreprecipitation on average than they did 65 years ago.

Read related: “Nobel Laureate: More Evidence Links Extreme Weather to GlobalWarming.”

The increase in damages arising from such extreme weather makesthe pickings ripe for fraudulent contractors.

“We don't have statistical reports on contractor fraud orthe most common kinds of contractor fraud,” said Frank Scafidi,director of public affairs at the National Insurance Crime Bureau(NICB). “However, just from the information that I get from ouragents around the country, I can tell you that we see a lot ofscams involving structure repairs (roofs, siding, etc.) afterstorms.”

In major disaster cleanup, it is also fairly common to run intocontractors who descend into an area and solicit repair andrebuilding business from victims, Scafidi said. “Many of thesepeople will sweet talk homeowners into advancing large sums ofmoney to buy materials but then never return to do the work,” hesaid. “It happened after Katrina and it will most likely happen aspeople begin to rebuild in areas devastated by the recentwildfires.”

Dishonest drifters often go door to door, especially afterdisasters, said James Quiggle of the Coalition. Fixing badrepair work also can take months of headaches, and the victim'shomeowner policy may not cover fraudulent repairs. Even routinehome fixups and remodeling can be an invitation for contractscams.

Read related: “FloridaContractor's Sinkhole Fraud Uncovered.”

The Coalition recommends that consumers avoiddoor-to-door drifters, verify licenses, insist on acontract, screen contractors through the Better Business Bureau,and work with a reputable insurance company and agent to preventgetting scammed.

Here are the six most common contractor scams, according to theCoalition:

1. Disappearingdownpayments. The contractor demands a large downpayment,then disappears after doing little or no work.

Real-life example: A large-scale constructionscam in Montana resulted in dozens of homeowners and formeremployees being bilked out of thousands of dollars while leavinghomes roofless in the middle of winter. John Mulinski procuredsignificant sums of money upfront, then took off without finishingthe work. One homeowner paid Mulinski $30,000 and was left withnothing but a tarp overhead. The resulting damage to the home costthe homeowner another $29,000 to repair.The Montana Dept. of Laborand Industry began investigating Mulinski last year.

2. Shoddy work. The work islow quality, using cheap materials. You may have to redo the entirejob, often at your own expense.

Real-life example: Sharon Gonzales of LasCruces, N.M. hired contractor Gary Winsor to fix her roof andinstall a heating and cooling system. She paid him She paid Winsor$6,000 upfront. He tore up her roof and then bolted withoutfinishing the work. Gonzales had to hire another contractor to dothe job right, costing her far more money. The Las Cruces man willserve eight years in federal prison, the court ruled in late April.Gonzales was among dozens of homeowners Winsor defrauded. Courtsalso have imposed civil settlements involving at least 50 lawsuitsby customers.

3. Phantom damage. Acontractor invents storm damage. Nicking sidewall or roof shingleswith a screwdriver to mimic hail damage is one come-on.

Real-life example: Reps hired by PrecisionBuilders canvassed homes in Camden County, New Jersey, convincinghomeowners their dwellings were banged up by a hailstorm, and toldthem their insurance would pay for new siding or a roof. The repsthen created seeming hail dents or nicks before insurance adjustersarrived. Travelers Insurance then paid the claims, with Precisionpocketing the loot. The firm and ringleader Dominik Sadowskipleaded guilty in late March. Precision still faces criminalcharges in Pennsylvania, and a $1-million lawsuit by TravelersInsurance.

4. Worsens damage. Contractorsenlarge holes in a roof to increase their billings. Billing forphantom work is another ruse.

Real-life example: A recent sting inGeorgia undertaken by Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgensand a local TV station revealed numerous instances of roofing fraudin which perpetrators “found” roof damage that they madethemselves, or enlarged existing damage, then marking the “damaged”areas with chalk for insurance companies to observe. Three roofingcontractors were arrested in Haralson County on a variety ofcharges made by local and state officials.

5. Pay your deductible.Offering to pay your insurance deductible is a con to lure yourbusiness.

Real-life example: Offering to pay stormvictims' insurance deductibles to make the sale of a new roof waspart of the MO of the Georgia scammers arrested in the case above.The result was a new state law specifically prohibiting thepractice.

6. Insurer go-between. Thecontractor elbows in as the go-between with your insurer. You losecontrol over your valuable claim.

Real-life example: In the Mulinski fraudcase above, one homeowner said Mulinski began bypassing him andgoing directly to his insurance company, where he was able toobtain money.