Latest Fraud Headlines
All the headlines from our Fraud Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Insurers Begin to Offer Cryptocurrency Theft Cover, Tackling Risks of Growing Sector
Feb 1 2018 // Major global insurers are starting to offer protection against cryptocurrency theft, willing to tackle daunting challenges it brings rather than miss out on this volatile and loosely regulated, but rapidly growing...
West Virginia Man Sentenced to Nearly 2 Years for Filing $354K in Fraudulent Claims
Jan 26 2018 // A West Virginia man has been sentenced to one year and nine months in federal prison for filing false insurance claims totaling more than $354,000. Thirty-six-year-old Daniel Lichtman of Kearneysville was sentenced for...
Man Charged with Generator Fraud in Connecticut after Superstorm Sandy
Jan 22 2018 // An Oregon man has been charged with stealing deposits Connecticut homeowners had made for generators after Superstorm Sandy. The Stamford Advocate reports that 56-year-old John Mech, of Seaside, Oregon, took a $7,500...
Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty in Deepwater Horizon Compensation Fund Fraud
Jan 22 2018 // An Empire, Louisiana, man has pleaded guilty to defrauding the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion settlement compensation fund, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana announced. U.S....
Unlicensed Contractor Sentenced to Prison for Fraud in Massachusetts
Jan 17 2018 // An unlicensed home improvement contractor whose false promises left an elderly Massachusetts woman’s home in ruins and others temporarily homeless is heading to prison. The Salem News reports that 49-year-old Jaime...
Insurance, Finance Fraud in UK Jumps to $2.9B, a 15-Year High
Jan 16 2018 // Fraud in the U.K. rose to 2.1 billion pounds ($2.9 billion), the most in 15 years, as the police commander in charge of fighting the crime said the amount of evidence was setting back investigations. The value of finance...
Nebraska Bill Would Criminalize Drone Use to Spy on People, Harass Cows
Jan 8 2018 // Using a drone to spy on neighbors, drop drugs into prisons or harass cows could lead to criminal charges under a new bill Nebraska lawmakers will consider later this year. The measure would impose new safety and privacy...
Texas Regulators Reveal 2017’s Top Insurance Fraud Cases
Jan 8 2018 // Texas Department of Insurance fraud investigations in 2017 resulted in 135 suspects referred for prosecution, 113 indictments, and $2.3 million in court-ordered restitution for victims. TDI described some of the most...
Minnesota Chiropractor, Runners Convicted in Auto Insurance Fraud Scheme
Jan 8 2018 // An Edina, Minnesota, chiropractor and his recruiters have been found guilty of auto insurance fraud, the Minnesota Department of Commerce announced in late December 2017. Federal prosecutors reported that Adam John Burke,...
Former California Agent Sentenced for Stealing $100K in Premiums and Investments
Jan 5 2018 // Former licensed insurance agent Frederick Donald Rollins, 42, of Moreno Valley, Calif., was sentenced today after pleading guilty to one felony count of grand theft, two counts of securities fraud and an aggravated...
North Carolina Vehicle Thefts On the Rise After 10-year Decline
Jan 5 2018 // Vehicle thefts are on the rise again in North Carolina after a decade-long decline. The State Bureau of Investigation says 15,007 vehicles were stolen in North Carolina in 2016. That was nearly 4,000 more stolen vehicles...
Minnesota Chiropractor, Patient Recruiters Found Guilty of Insurance Fraud
Jan 2 2018 // A federal jury has found an Edina, Minnesota, chiropractor and his recruiters guilty of insurance fraud conspiracy, the Minnesota Department of Commerce announced in late December 2017. According to Acting United States...
Top Insurance Journal Midwest Stories of 2017
Dec 29 2017 // A bad broker, classic cars that got destroyed in a fire and insurer rating downgrades were among the most widely read news stories in Insurance Journal’s Midwest region in 2017. Broker Gone Bad One story that...
New Jersey Contractor Hit with Fraud Charges Over Post-Sandy Work
Dec 28 2017 // A contractor who performed work on Superstorm Sandy-damaged homes pressured customers into signing contracts and then performed shoddy work it failed to correct, state prosecutors alleged Tuesday. State Attorney General...
North Carolina Man Accused of Faking $104K in Insurance Claims
Dec 27 2017 // A North Carolina man has been charged with four counts each of insurance fraud and obtaining property by false pretense, according to a statement from North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey. Jeffrey Neal Smith,...
California Division of Workers’ Comp Suspends 16 Medical Providers
Dec 22 2017 // The California Division of Workers’ Compensation has suspended 16 more medical providers from participating in the state’s workers’ comp system, bringing the total number of providers suspended this year...
Fighting Low Level Fraud is Fighting Big Time Fraud
Dec 20 2017 // I saw an article today in Insurance Journal that was interesting to me as an insurance professional in the great state of Florida. The article discussed a case on insurance fraud in Florida related to Hurricane...
Destruction of Expensive Toys Leads to Guilty Plea in Insurance Fraud Scheme
Dec 18 2017 // A Texas pilot in early December pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and arson charges, associated with, among other things, intentionally crashing a plane in the Gulf of Mexico and destroying other expensive planes,...
Florida Disaster Fraud Team Investigation Leads to False Claim Arrest
Dec 15 2017 // A Florida man was arrested last month after he was caught lying to his insurance company in an attempt to file a false insurance claim for vehicle for damage allegedly caused by Hurricane Irma, according to a statement...
London Police Eye Criminal Charges Related to Grenfell Tower Disaster
Dec 14 2017 // London police are considering a variety of criminal charges related to the June fire at Grenfell Tower that killed 71 people. Police told an inquiry Monday [Dec. 11] that the possible charges include misconduct in public...
