Posted On: December 30, 2008, 9:47 am CST

Posted By: Paige Anderson Weeks

A Philadelphia resident was charged with 62 counts of Insurance Fraud and 22 counts of Identity Theft in his effort to out-smart seven different insurance companies.

The man obtained four automobile insurance policies with Progressive Insurance Company. Days later, the gentleman filed four separate damage claims reporting that all four vehicles had been vandalized. After realizing that the man never even paid for the insurance policies, Progressive denied all claims. Subsequently, Progressive reported all four matters to the District Attorney's Insurance Fraud Unit.

Investigators uncovered 70 additional insurance claims involving AIG, Allstate, Geico, Progressive, Safe Auto, Safeco and Unitrin Direct. Further investigations revealed that 60 of those claims were denied due to insufficient payment. In addition, 22 of the claims were filed under the identity of an innocent victim.

The man had no shame when repeatedly identifying himself as a police officer, an accountant, a bounty hunter, a soldier and other various professions in order to expedite his claims. The "phantom" was denied over $120,000 in 45 different claims, but received over $29,000 in settlement on 17 fraudulent claims.

The criminal case is pending.

(Philadelphia District Attorney's Office)

http://www.helpstopfraud.org/content/?/effects/cases&item=4962