| Chances are you've comparison shopped | | | | and federal regulators are beefing up their |
| insurance providers in order to pay the lowest | | | | investigative forces and imposing hefty penalties |
| premium for your driving needs. Frustrated | | | | to offenders including fines and jail sentencing. |
| drivers writing out checks every month, quarter, | | | | Many police departments are also rewarding |
| or semi-annually groan from the hit their wallet | | | | citizens who report instances of insurance fraud |
| takes due to high premiums. If you're a safe | | | | with cash, a very motivating incentive, especially |
| driver and follow the rules of the road, you may | | | | in today's tough economy. Some rewards go up |
| wonder why you're responsible for paying big | | | | to $25,000. Increasingly better technology and |
| fees. The answer to that is insurance fraud. | | | | open lines of communication between insurance |
| Insurance scamming is prevalent and it doesn't | | | | companies, police departments and federal |
| just happen with vehicle insurance. Insurance fraud | | | | investigation initiatives mean that identifying and |
| investigations turn up reports from health care | | | | tracking down fraudsters is easier than ever. The |
| scams, home owner's insurance claims, false | | | | message is clear: if you commit insurance fraud, |
| missing/stolen jewelry reports, auto insurance | | | | you will be caught. |
| claims, workers compensation claims and more. If | | | | Law enforcement is urging citizens to be aware |
| you're surprised, don't be - nearly 1 in 6 | | | | of potential cases of insurance scams. Citizens can |
| Americans say they know someone who has | | | | protect themselves by remaining vigilant in the |
| participated in one type of insurance fraud, | | | | face of a staged car collision, for instance, or |
| namely insurance fraud resulting from a workers' | | | | resisting pressure from an individual to leave the |
| comp injury claim. | | | | scene of an accident without filing a police or |
| Insurance fraud is a white collar crime and is | | | | insurance report. False injury reports are also |
| second to being the most costly of white-collar | | | | easy insurance fraud and many times the |
| crimes behind tax evasion. White collar crimes are | | | | perpetrator is working with a group called a "fraud |
| defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigations | | | | ring" to orchestrate "slip and fall" schemes that |
| (FBI) as "those illegal acts which are characterized | | | | rein in big money for non-existent injuries. Beware |
| by deceit, concealment, or violation of trust and | | | | of a suspicious house fire, and report any strange |
| which are not dependent upon the application or | | | | occurrences to your local law enforcement |
| threat of physical force or violence". White collar | | | | department. |
| crimes occur along every socioeconomic status | | | | Unfortunately, a tough economy drives citizens to |
| and demographic, but the motivation almost | | | | less than honest means to make money. Make no |
| always stands to be monetary personal gain of | | | | mistake about it, insurance fraud is a crime and |
| the offender. Costing each American more than | | | | it's one that hits all of us in the wallet. Take a |
| $1,000 a year, insurance fraud is a white collar | | | | stand when you suspect something fishy - you |
| crime that we all pay for - even those of us who | | | | may stop a long-standing criminal in his tracks and |
| are innocent. | | | | save countless money and resources by reporting |
| To combat insurance scams, police departments | | | | the crime. |