DATE: March 8, 2021
REGARDING: Increase of Catalytic Converter Thefts, 2018 through December 2020
PREPARED BY: NICB Office of Intelligence and Analytics
Introduction
The following report provides an analysis of available catalytic converter theft claims data for losses
between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020. The data was isolated by Policy Type, Loss Type, andLoss Description. Policy Types included Personal Auto or Commercial Auto; the Loss Type wasComprehensive, Theft, or Vandalism; and the Loss Description included key words related to the theft ofcatalytic converters. It should be noted that in approximately 2016, many insurance companies began toclassify catalytic converter thefts as “Partial Thefts” with no further information regarding the part stolen.
Given the inability to confirm the stolen vehicle component, these thefts are not included in the following
analysis. The 189 insurance companies that reported catalytic converter theft claims comprise 10% of themarket. While this report only contains information on a portion of catalytic converter thefts, it provides
valuable insight into the overall trend of the thefts.
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Appendix 1
Appendix 2

Highlights key findings
Details the number of reported catalytic converter thefts by month
Details precious metal prices
Details the number of reported catalytic converter thefts by state
Precious metal prices at week’s closing 1/1/2018 through 12/31/2020
Reported catalytic converter thefts by state
SECTION 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Reported catalytic converter thefts have significantly increased since last year. In 2020, there were 14,433
reported thefts, representing a 326% increase from last year’s 3,389 reported thefts. While the thefts weretrending upwards since mid-2019, the growth rate was significant in 2020. To illustrate this, the highest monthfor catalytic converter thefts in 2019 was in December at 578 reported incidents. The highest month for thefts
in 2020 was also December at 2,347 reported incidents. This represents a 306% increase in recorded thefts.
Alarmingly, this trend remained consistent for nearly every month to month comparison. Ten of the twelve
months saw a 300+ percent increase, with February 2020 seeing a 665% increase compared to February
2019. The remaining two months, September and August, experienced a less dramatic, but significant, 200+
percent increase compared to the same months in 2019. This dramatic increase can be attributed to a numberof inter-connected factors including crimes of opportunity in economically depressed periods, disruption of the
supply chain, and public safety limitations.
Catalytic converters contain precious metals, most notable Rhodium, Platinum, and Palladium. Historically,
catalytic converter thefts have increased when the price per ounce of these precious metals increase. There isa strong correlation between the price of Rhodium and the number of reported catalytic converter thefts. The
price per ounce of Platinum and Palladium have changed at a similar trajectory; however, the price per ounceof Rhodium has increased more than 9 times the low of $1,520 at market closing 1/19/2018, to a high of$14,500 at market closing on 12/31/2020. Further, 18 of the 20 highest end-of-week closing prices fromJanuary 2018 to December 2020 occurred between September 2020 and December 2020. The remaining 2 of
the top 20 highest weekly closing prices occurred on 2/21/2020 ($11,100 per ounce) and 3/6/2020 ($11,200
per ounce); immediately preceding COVID-19 shutdowns. The price of Rhodium dropped to $2,000 per ounce
on March 20, 2020.
Copyright ©2021 by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. All rights reserved
This bulletin is provided to NICB member companies and law enforcement for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be the basis for claims or other operational decisions. NICB’s intent is toshare pertinent information for the proactive detection, prevention, and deterrence of insurance related crime. This information is provided “AS-IS” and independent investigation and verification should be
conducted prior to making any decisions based upon the information contained in this document. NICB retains all rights, title, and interest to this document. Any dissemination outside your organization
without the prior written approval of the NICB Office of the General Counsel is prohibited.

Catalytic Converter Thefts
March 8,2021
Page 2 of 8

Metal
Low
Platinum$608
Palladium$889
Rhodium $1,520

Date
3/20/2020
7/20/2018
1/19/2018

High$1,061$2,614$14,500

Date
12/31/2020
2/21/2020
12/31/2020*Note - Although outside the date range of this report, it should be noted that the price per ounce ofRhodium reached $18,500 on 2/3/2021, which indicates Catalytic Converter thefts will continue at
inflated levels.

California experienced the most reported catalytic converter thefts each year. Texas, the 2nd most impacted
state, reported 10 times less thefts than California.

SECTION 2: Reported Catalytic Converter Thefts by MonthIn 2018, there were an average of 108 reported catalytic converters thefts a month. Reported thefts were fairly
consistent with a low of 86 in April and a high of 147 in October. In 2019, following a slight decrease fromJanuary to February, reported catalytic converter thefts steadily increased to the year’s high of 578 in
December. This represents a 535% increase from December 2018 with 91 reported incidents. In 2020,
February was 665% higher than February 2019. March 2020 was the only month in which reported catalytic
converter thefts decreased from the preceding month. Reported catalytic converter thefts more than tripledfrom January (652) to December (2,347).

REPORTED CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS BY MONTH

Copyright ©2021 by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. All rights reserved
This bulletin is provided to NICB member companies and law enforcement for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be the basis for claims or other operational decisions. NICB’s intent is toshare pertinent information for the proactive detection, prevention, and deterrence of insurance related crime. This information is provided “AS-IS” and independent investigation and verification should be
conducted prior to making any decisions based upon the information contained in this document. NICB retains all rights, title, and interest to this document. Any dissemination outside your organization
without the prior written approval of the NICB Office of the General Counsel is prohibited.

Catalytic Converter Thefts
March 8,2021
Page 3 of 8

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
AugustSeptember
OctoberNovember
December
Total

2018

2019

2020

116
103
95
86
104
104
109
114
125
147
104
91
1,298

134
106
152
183
211
240
265
377
353
360
430
578
3,389

652
811
755
779
1,034
1,040
1,122
1,131
1,268
1,650
1,844
2,347
14,433Highest Rhodium Price

Lowest Rhodium Price.

SECTION 3: Precious Metal Prices
Catalytic converters contain precious metals, most notable Rhodium, Platinum, and Palladium. Historically,
catalytic converter thefts have increased when the price per ounce of these precious metals increase. There isa strong correlation between the price of Rhodium and the number of reported catalytic converts thefts
PRECIOUS METAL PRICES PER OUNCE

Copyright ©2021 by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. All rights reserved
This bulletin is provided to NICB member companies and law enforcement for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be the basis for claims or other operational decisions. NICB’s intent is toshare pertinent information for the proactive detection, prevention, and deterrence of insurance related crime. This information is provided “AS-IS” and independent investigation and verification should be
conducted prior to making any decisions based upon the information contained in this document. NICB retains all rights, title, and interest to this document. Any dissemination outside your organization
without the prior written approval of the NICB Office of the General Counsel is prohibited.

Catalytic Converter Thefts
March 8,2021
Page 4 of 8

The price per ounce of Platinum and Palladium have changed at a similar trajectory; however, the price perounce of Rhodium increased more than 9 times the low of $1,520 at market closing 1/19/2018 to a high of$14,500 at market closing on 12/31/2020.
METAL
LOW
Platinum$608
Palladium$889
Rhodium $1,050

DATE
03/20/2020
07/20/2018
09/29/2017

HIGH$1,022$2,614$11,800

DATE
01/17/2020
02/21/2020
10/23/2020

Further, 18 of the 20 highest end-of-week closing prices between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020
were recorded the last 18 weeks of 2020. The other 2 highest end-of-week closing prices occurred on
2/21/2020 ($11,100 per ounce) and 3/6/2020 ($11,200 per ounce); immediately preceding COVID-19
shutdowns. The price dropped to $2,000 per ounce on March 20, 2020.
TOP 20 RHODIUM PRICES (AT WEEK’S CLOSING)
DATEPRICE PER OUNCE
12/31/20$14,500
12/25/20$14,100
12/11/20$14,000
12/18/20$14,000
12/4/20$13,800
11/27/20$13,700
11/20/20$13,500
11/6/20$12,000
10/23/20$11,800
11/13/20$11,600

DATE
10/2/20
3/6/202/21/20
9/18/20
9/11/20
10/30/20
10/16/20
9/25/20
9/4/2010/9/20

PRICE PER OUNCE$11,400$11,200$11,100$11,100$11,000$10,900$10,800$10,700$10,600$10,400

Palladium prices peaked in early 2020, reaching $2,614 per ounce on 2/21/2020, and have been less than
$1,500 per ounce since 8/23/2019. With the exception of the 3/20/2020 plummet of Platinum to $608 an
ounce, prices have gently fluctuated between $726 (4/3/2020) and $1,061 (12/31/2020).

SECTION 4: Reported Catalytic Converter Thefts by State
California experienced the most reported catalytic converter thefts each year. Texas, the 2nd most impacted
state, reported 10 times less thefts than California. California, Texas, Minnesota, North Carolina, Illinois,
Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and Missouri were the states with the most reported catalytic converter
thefts from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020. Total thefts are reported below:
REPORTED CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS JANUARY 1, 2018 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2020 COMBINED

Copyright ©2021 by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. All rights reserved
This bulletin is provided to NICB member companies and law enforcement for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be the basis for claims or other operational decisions. NICB’s intent is toshare pertinent information for the proactive detection, prevention, and deterrence of insurance related crime. This information is provided “AS-IS” and independent investigation and verification should be
conducted prior to making any decisions based upon the information contained in this document. NICB retains all rights, title, and interest to this document. Any dissemination outside your organization
without the prior written approval of the NICB Office of the General Counsel is prohibited.

Catalytic Converter Thefts
March 8,2021
Page 5 of 8

TOP 10 STATES BY YEAR
2018
STATE THEFTS
CA
507
IL
117
PA
62
NC
58
MI
49
IN
45
MN
40
GA
39
VA
39
TX
38

2019
STATE THEFTS
CA
1,687
MN
159
NC
153
IL
148
TX
147
IN
107
MI
102
PA
99
OH
88
VA
72

2020
STATE THEFTS
CA
7,359
TX
769
MN
665
NC
470
IN
343
WA
320
OR
307
OH
305
MO
302
PA
302

Copyright ©2021 by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. All rights reserved
This bulletin is provided to NICB member companies and law enforcement for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be the basis for claims or other operational decisions. NICB’s intent is toshare pertinent information for the proactive detection, prevention, and deterrence of insurance related crime. This information is provided “AS-IS” and independent investigation and verification should be
conducted prior to making any decisions based upon the information contained in this document. NICB retains all rights, title, and interest to this document. Any dissemination outside your organization
without the prior written approval of the NICB Office of the General Counsel is prohibited.

Catalytic Converter Thefts
March 8,2021
Page 6 of 8

Appendix 1: Precious Metal Prices= Top 20DATE
1/5/18
1/12/18
1/19/18
1/26/18
2/2/182/9/18
2/16/18
2/23/18
3/2/18
3/9/18
3/16/18
3/23/18
3/30/18
4/6/18
4/13/18
4/20/18
4/27/18
5/4/18
5/11/18
5/18/18
5/25/18
6/1/18
6/8/18
6/15/18
6/22/18
6/29/18
7/6/18
7/13/18
7/20/18
7/27/18
8/3/18
8/10/18
8/17/18
8/24/18
8/31/18
9/7/18
9/14/18
9/21/18

RHODIUM
$1,540$1,540$1,520$1,580$1,720$1,660$1,700$1,710$1,710$1,710$1,780$1,840$1,870$1,870$1,900$1,920$1,870$1,850$1,905$2,020$2,080$2,100$2,080$2,120$2,105$2,085$2,080$2,120$2,175$2,165$2,185$2,215$2,215$2,245$2,235$2,235$2,255$2,400. Lowest Price
PLATINUM$968$992$1,010$1,006$990$963$1,005
$994
$963
$964
$948
$947
$930
$916
$929
$925
$913
$910
$922
$885
$899
$902
$905
$885
$877
$852
$842
$826
$825
$828
$828
$826
$787
$789
$786
$780
$792
$826

PALLADIUM$1,086$1,117$1,096$1,083$1,039$969$1,032$1,035
$983
$992
$992
$970
$949
$900
$982
$1,020
$964
$964
$987
$962
$976
$998
$1,004
$984
$953
$948
$947
$932
$889
$919
$904
$904
$904
$936
$978
$976
$975
$1,048DATE
9/28/18
10/5/18
10/12/18
10/19/18
10/26/18
11/2/18
11/9/18
11/16/18
11/23/18
11/30/18
12/7/18
12/14/18
12/21/18
12/28/18
1/4/19
1/11/19
1/18/19
1/25/19
2/1/192/8/192/15/19
2/22/19
3/1/193/8/193/15/19
3/22/19
3/29/19
4/5/194/12/19
4/19/19
4/26/19
5/3/195/10/19
5/17/19
5/24/19
5/31/19
6/7/196/14/19

Highest Price .
RHODIUM$2,425$2,425$2,270$2,310$2,220$2,210$2,290$2,370$2,390$2,430$2,410$2,370$2,300$2,300$2,300$2,280$2,310$2,320$2,350$2,360$2,450$2,540$2,620$2,850$3,000$3,060$2,795$2,770$2,595$2,750$2,775$2,735$2,700$2,620$2,600$2,650$2,720$3,250PLATINUM
$814
$821
$836
$830
$831
$867
$851
$843
$838
$797
$792
$785
$787
$789
$820
$808
$797
$816
$821
$798
$805
$841
$857
$815
$828
$845
$847
$897
$890
$900
$897
$870
$863
$816
$804
$791
$806
$802

PALLADIUM$1,070$1,069
$1,063$1,073$1,098$1,105$1,102$1,161$1,104$1,170$1,209$1,222$1,215$1,240$1,287$1,303$1,359$1,344$1,335$1,386$1,415$1,474$1,525$1,493$1,532$1,539$1,364$1,351$1,352$1,402$1,444$1,348$1,333$1,297$1,315$1,310$1,338$1,448

Copyright ©2021 by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. All rights reserved
This bulletin is provided to NICB member companies and law enforcement for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be the basis for claims or other operational decisions. NICB’s intent is toshare pertinent information for the proactive detection, prevention, and deterrence of insurance related crime. This information is provided “AS-IS” and independent investigation and verification should be
conducted prior to making any decisions based upon the information contained in this document. NICB retains all rights, title, and interest to this document. Any dissemination outside your organization
without the prior written approval of the NICB Office of the General Counsel is prohibited.

Catalytic Converter Thefts
March 8,2021
Page 7 of 8

DATE
6/21/19
6/28/19
7/5/197/12/19
7/19/19
7/26/19
8/2/198/9/198/16/19
8/23/19
8/30/19
9/6/199/13/19
9/20/19
9/27/19
10/4/19
10/11/19
10/18/19
10/25/19
11/1/19
11/8/19
11/15/19
11/22/19
11/29/19
12/6/19
12/13/19
12/20/19
12/27/19
1/3/201/10/20
1/17/20
1/24/20
1/31/20
2/7/202/14/20
2/21/20
2/28/20
3/6/203/13/20
3/20/20
3/27/20

RHODIUM
$2,925$3,150$3,155$3,290$3,260$3,295$3,360$3,440$3,690$3,875$4,700$3,850$4,700$5,000$4,850$4,700$4,900$5,100$4,960$4,940$5,000$5,450$5,500$5,400$5,500$5,700$5,560$5,580$5,850$7,100$7,700$9,000$9,200$9,500$10,000$11,100$10,200$11,200$9,800$2,000$6,500PLATINUM
$807
$834
$808
$829
$844
$863
$843
$858
$848
$855
$931
$948
$946
$944
$928
$880
$894
$890
$924
$948
$886
$888
$888
$894
$894
$926
$907
$943
$980
$976
$1,022$1,004
$958
$966
$964
$973
$864
$903
$765
$608
$744

PALLADIUM$1,484$1,516$1,554$1,524$1,488$1,511$1,392$1,399$1,430$1,441$1,517$1,522$1,590$1,605$1,662$1,647$1,682$1,736$1,750$1,792$1,724$1,686$1,754$1,822$1,860$1,915$1,841$1,889$1,967$2,096$2,295$2,297$2,190$2,213$2,310$2,614$2,489$2,451$1,698$1,522$2,165DATE
4/3/204/10/20
4/17/20
4/24/20
5/1/205/8/205/15/20
5/22/20
5/29/20
6/5/206/12/20
6/19/20
6/26/20
7/3/207/10/20
7/17/20
7/24/20
7/31/20
8/7/208/14/20
8/21/20
8/28/20
9/4/209/11/20
9/18/20
9/25/20
10/2/20
10/9/20
10/16/20
10/23/20
10/30/20
11/6/20
11/13/20
11/20/20
11/27/20
12/4/20
12/11/20
12/18/20
12/25/20
12/31/20

RHODIUM$4,500$4,000$6,000$4,500$3,700$3,500$4,500$5,500$6,200$5,300$5,700$6,000$5,800$5,900$6,500$6,300$6,800$6,950$7,500$9,000$10,200$9,700$10,600$11,000$11,100$10,700$11,400$10,400$10,800$11,800$10,900$12,000$11,600$13,500$13,700$13,800$14,000$14,000$14,100$14,500

PLATINUM
$726
$751
$779
$766
$759
$767
$782
$821
$822
$810
$800
$801
$795
$800
$812
$831
$909
$900
$960
$934
$916
$924
$902
$921
$923
$841
$872
$885
$857
$898
$840
$887
$884
$946

PALLADIUM$2,118$2,057$2,070$1,926$1,820$1,800$1,820$1,885$1,860$1,897$1,846$1,828$1,812$1,852$1,916$1,969$2,160$1,973$2,031$2,010$2,069$2,083$2,185$2,199$2,244$2,102$2,202$2,351$2,209$2,280$2,086$2,364$2,196$2,200$1,002$1,032$1,017$1,061$2,202$2,244$2,226$2,336

Copyright ©2021 by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. All rights reserved
This bulletin is provided to NICB member companies and law enforcement for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be the basis for claims or other operational decisions. NICB’s intent is toshare pertinent information for the proactive detection, prevention, and deterrence of insurance related crime. This information is provided “AS-IS” and independent investigation and verification should be
conducted prior to making any decisions based upon the information contained in this document. NICB retains all rights, title, and interest to this document. Any dissemination outside your organization
without the prior written approval of the NICB Office of the General Counsel is prohibited.

Catalytic Converter Thefts, October 2017 through October 2020 (Dissemination Instructions)
Date of Report
Page 8 of 8

Appendix 2: Reported Catalytic Converter Thefts by StateTop 10 States
STATE
2018-2020
AK
6
AL
138
AR
63
AZ
147
CA
9,553
CO
116
CT
91
DC
6
DE
33
FL
133
GA
202
HI
96
IA
114
ID
6
IL
550
IN
495
KS
129
KY
183
LA
54
MA
82
MD
243
ME
29
MI
357
MN
864
MO
359
MS
63
MT
14

2018
7
5
3
507
5
9
8
39
7
8
1
117
45
7
16
1
4
32
1
49
40
25
1
-

2019
3
22
3
17
1,687
17
15
3
5
19
39
12
28
148
107
17
20
10
13
64
3
102
159
32
9
-

States 11-20
2020
3
109
55
127
7,359
94
67
3
28
106
124
77
78
5
285
343
105
147
43
65
147
25
206
665
302
53
14

STATE
NC
ND
NE
NH
NJ
NM
NV
NY
OH
OK
OR
PA
RI
SC
SD
TN
TX
UT
VA
VT
WA
WI
WV
WY
CanadaMexicoTOTAL

2018-2020
681
12
66
30
85
57
110
223
424
50
334
463
25
223
23
144
954
106
360
15
357
181
65
1
4
1
19,120

2018
58
8
3
14
2
2
29
31
1
2
62
16
1
5
38
3
39
3
20
20
1
3
1,298

2019
2020
153
470
1
11
7
51
7
20
15
56
13
42
12
96
34
160
88
305
2
47
25
307
99
302
8
17
47
160
3
19
21
118
147
769
6
97
72
249
3
9
17
320
46
115
8
56
1
1
1
3,389 14,433

Copyright ©2021 by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. All rights reserved
This bulletin is provided to NICB member companies and law enforcement for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be the basis for claims or other operational decisions. NICB’s intent is toshare pertinent information for the proactive detection, prevention, and deterrence of insurance related crime. This information is provided “AS-IS” and independent investigation and verification should be
conducted prior to making any decisions based upon the information contained in this document. NICB retains all rights, title, and interest to this document. Any dissemination outside your organization
without the prior written approval of the NICB Office of the General Counsel is prohibited.