An adjuster is examining a burglary claim. The homeowner reports $15,000 in stolen electronics. The adjuster discovers the insured has no purchase receipts, no photos of the items, and no model/serial numbers. What should the adjuster do?

Documentation and proof of loss: The insurer has the right to require reasonable proof of loss — the insured must demonstrate that the claimed items existed and establish their value.

Investigation approach: Request police report (contemporaneous listing of reported stolen items); credit card/bank statements showing purchases; retailer purchase history; photos/videos (social media, cloud backups); homeowner app inventory records; witness statements; independent pricing research for claimed items; ADJUSTER'S ROLE: Work COLLABORATIVELY with the insured to substantiate the claim — not adversarially; help identify available documentation sources; apply reasonable valuation methods when perfect documentation doesn't exist.

Caution: Fraud is a consideration but not the default assumption; many legitimate claims lack documentation; adjuster must document their valuation methodology clearly for any payment or denial.