A troubling trend of construction firms illegally hiding workers in shell companies to avoid paying state-required workers' compensation coverage began emerging in Florida in the early 2000s.

Historically, dishonest contractors lowballed large amounts of their payroll, undetected. The goal was to under-report employees and salaries, and lie that employees worked safer jobs than they really did.

Fewer employees, lower payroll and safe jobs reduced workers' compensation premiums. Dishonest construction firms each can illegally shave hundreds of thousands of dollars in premiums a year. They also can save up to 30 percent or more on contractor labor costs.

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