You don't need this kind of help

This post comes from Susan Ladika at partner site Insurance.com. Say you've been in a wreck. Or your home has been damaged by a storm. Or your kitchen has gone up in flames.

You're shaken and dazed.

That's when the siren chasers strike -- trying to sign you up for services you don't need or can ill afford. If you fall prey to their scams, you could be on the hook for hundreds or thousands of dollars and might even lose your home.

I witnessed siren-chasing firsthand when my neighbor accidentally started a kitchen fire. Within minutes of the fire trucks pulling away after extinguishing the blaze, two fire restoration companies showed up at her home, trying to get her to hire them to make the repairs.

She sent them both packing and called her homeowners insurance company instead.

That decision drew praise from National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) spokesman Frank Scafidi, quoting the NICB mantra: "If you didn't request it, reject it."

"They're trying to take advantage of your emotions," Scafidi says.

They also are trying to take advantage of your wallet.

Don't play tow-truck roulette

After a wreck, a tow truck driver you never called might suddenly appear and try to tow your car from the scene.

The rest is here:
You don't need this kind of help