Seen At 11: 'Tragedy Chasers' Bilk Vulnerable Families Out Of Big Insurance Payouts

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- After a catastrophe, a fire, or a flood some homeowners are finding it's not just the first responders rushing to the scene.

Homeowners are also being swarmed by people promising to help them in their time of need, but as CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported, the so-called 'tragedy chasers' can make a hardship even worse.

Nearly two years after a fire destroyed Claude and Donald Desamour's Elmont, Long Island home it was a mess.

"It has no plumbing, no electricity, no flooring, no walls," Claude said.

It's a shell of a home that they said has already cost them a small fortune.

"We're working seven jobs between us to maintain a mortgage on a house that we're not living in, paying for an apartment so we have someplace that we can sleep," Claude said.

It all started on the night of the fire when Desamour said he got a phone call at the scene.

"The gentleman on the phone says 'I'm the fire chief' and lets me know a lot of people are going to come around to help us out, but don't talk to anyone. He said 'call this guy, this guy will take care of us," Donald said.

The caller was right, but he was not the fire chief.

Many people swarmed the outside of the smoldering home offering help with everything from boarding up the house to securing a place for the couple to stay.

"There are people that chase fires knowing that's how they are going to get business," Bradley Schnur said.

They tell you to hire a public adjuster they know, and then strongly recommend you sign with a certain contractor or risk losing some insurance money.

"If you go with another contractor, you're going to jeopardize your claim," Claude said.

Now, the couple believes all of those recommendations were part of a larger plan to take their insurance money while completing as little work as possible.

"What the contractor did instead of repairing it they applied spray foam insulation," inspector Peter Wilson said.

Independent house inspector Peter Wilson found problems with every aspect of the work from the electric to the plumbing and especially the structural damage, which he said was simply covered up.

"If they had heavy furniture it could fall right through," he said.

When CBS2's cameras tracked down one of the contractors he had very little to say.

"I did not take any money from them, not one penny," he said.

Someone did take the couple's insurance check -- nearly $300,000, and fraudulently endorsed it -- depositing it in a bank account with a similar business name.

"In an emergency situation there are so many things going on, and unfortunately some people will prey upon you," Nassau County Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, Madelyn Farley said.

But don't feel pressured. The only task you need to accomplish immediately is boarding up your home. After that, take your time to research each and every firm you decide to hire.

"You always have a choice, don't let anyone ever tell you that you don't have a choice," Farley said.

The Desamours said it was a tough lesson to learn, but it hasn't dampened their determination.

"We just want to get back home," Donald said.

A portion of the insurance proceeds has been recovered and is being held in an escrow, although it's not nearly enough, they say, to reconstruct the house so the couple has set up a Go Fund Me to ask for help.