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Metal Thieves Swiping Tailpipes Create 1,000% Spike in Claims

A deputy from the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department engraves the catalytic converter of a vehicle with a traceable number in City of Industry, California.
A deputy from the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department engraves the catalytic converter of a vehicle with a traceable number in City of Industry, California.Photographer: Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
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State Farm said Thursday that metal thieves in search of platinum, rhodium and palladium are stealing catalytic converters in ever-greater numbers, sending auto-insurance claims soaring across the U.S.

Last year, State Farm paid $62.6 million for 32,265 catalytic converter theft claims nationally -- a 1,173% increase from 2019.