Suspected cases of insurance fraud, often by roofers and other contractors, after hail damage rose 136% from 2006 to 2009, according to a new report.

In an effort to streamline the process of reporting possible fraud in a filed claim while also saving state insurance departments time and money, three national insurance groups are pooling resources.

Tips from the public about insurance crimes to a national group doubled from 2008 to 2009, as people “lost their patience” with insurance fraud, the group said.

As a way to increase the reporting of insurance fraud from the more than 246 million cell phone users in the U.S., the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is adding a text feature to its reporting system.

Questionable or suspicious property-casualty insurance claims, a byproduct of a bad economy, are on the rise, with about 13% more reported in the first half of this year than during the same period last year.