State Farm reports dramatic drop in catalytic converter theft claims
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Insurance giant State Farm says claims over the theft of catalytic converters are down significantly this year after skyrocketing in 2022.
The company released fresh data this week showing there were around 14,500 claims linked to criminals stealing the pricey auto part off customers' vehicles in the first half of 2023, a dramatic drop from the 23,570 swiped during the same period last year.
State Farm reported a significant decline in catalytic converter theft claims for the first six months of 2023. (John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The difference will save State Farm millions of dollars. In the first six months of 2022, the company paid $50 million in catalytic converter theft claims, and this year that amount is down to $41.7 million.
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It is the first time catalytic converter claims have fallen at State Farm since 2019, before thefts of the parts began to skyrocket. There were only 2,500 claims that year, then 10,000 in 2020; 32,000 in 2021; and 45,000 in 2022.
State Farm recommends consumers have their vehicle's VIN number engraved on the catalytic converter. (Mindy Schauer/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Catalytic converters are highly sought out by thieves who are able to remove them from underneath a vehicle in a matter of minutes and sell them for hundreds of dollars due to the precious metals they contain.
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State Farm attributes the decline in thefts of the parts so far this year to several factors, including media coverage informing consumers of the risk and ways to protect
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