California Insurance Fraud Is A Serious Crime…
While reflecting back on 2011, we have come across some funny, yet disturbing cases of California insurance fraud. People become desperate and dishonest but remember…insurance fraud is a crime, and the state of California takes it very seriously.
Here are some examples of the “worst” insurance fraud claims of 2011:
“Stormy scheme: Lori Sergiacomi was popular Providence, R.I. deejay called “Tanya Cruise,” Sergiacomi had two corrupt politicos bang up her home roof, pool and interior to look like storm damage so insurance would pay for her home remodeling. A crooked adjuster helped grease the claim. But just her luck, one politico spilled the entire scheme while being wiretapped in yet another corruption con. Sergiacomi received four months in a halfway house. Her cronies received varied sentences.”
“Bad medicine: Armen Karazianis headed an Armenian-American gang that bilked Medicare out of $163 million in one of the largest Medicare scams ever by one criminal gang. The Los Angeles-area man set up 118 fake medical clinics in 25 states, and stole the identities of doctors and Medicare beneficiaries. Karazianis also recruited Medicare patients for bogus treatments, and staged crashes for false injury claims. Karazianis received three years in federal prison.”
“Fake FBI agent: Bridget Buckner told her employer that her child and husband died suddenly just months apart, the Chicago woman said. She collected $25,000 in life coverage. Her husband was an FBI agent shot in his lung while on duty, she said. Poor guy died awaiting surgery. But the fraud investigator himself was a retired FBI agent who would’ve heard about the death. Buckner’s innocent hubby wasn’t an agent, and her daughter had died several years prior. A spooked Buckner disappeared but was hauled back for a 10-year jail term.”
We know these are all extreme examples of desperate individuals…but keep in mind that insurance adjusters and police will take the time to investigate these obscure claims until they get all of the facts straight. Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy, and the lie is not worth the punishment that comes with poor choices. They especially tend to investigate life insurance policies and evaluate all circumstances before payout occurs.
At Remland Insurance, we pride ourselves on being honest and trustworthy. If you are experiencing any financial difficulty with your insurance policy, make sure and contact our office for a solution. Remland insurance specializes in California home insurance, California business liability insurance & California auto insurance. Give us a call today at 714)532-3341
Source: Insurance Journal
Photo Credit: Intrgrity Roofing
