Latest Fraud Headlines
All the headlines from our Fraud Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Report: Las Vegas No. 1, Phoenix Area No. 4 in Nation’s Auto Thefts
Oct 24 2007 // The Phoenix area has the nation’s fourth highest auto-theft rate, according to a recent National Insurance Crime Bureau report. Of the 54,849 vehicles that were stolen in Arizona in 2006, nearly 40,000 of them were...
Okla. AG Charges Insurance Company Owners with Fraud
Oct 22 2007 // Felony charges were filed against two Texans accused of insurance fraud in Oklahoma, Attorney General Drew Edmondson said. The charges, including conspiracy, racketeering and filing a false financial statement, were filed...
Mich. Gov. Proclaims Oct. 22-26 Auto Theft Prevention Week
Oct 19 2007 // Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has deemed the week of Oct. 22-26 as “Turn Up the H.E.A.T. Week.” The purpose is to activate residents to increase their awareness of auto theft prevention measures and to...
Ind. Woman Accused of Stealing Soldier Son’s Insurance Gets Probation
Oct 15 2007 // A Portage woman who pleaded guilty to stealing $250,000 in life insurance money after her son died in Iraq was scheduled to eight years of probation. Janie Lee Espinoza admitted taking her son’s life insurance money,...
Woman Convicted of Stealing Identities of Nearly 500 Alabamians
Oct 12 2007 // A woman who worked for the company that processes Alabama Medicaid claims on pleaded guilty to charges of stealing the identities of nearly 500 Alabamians, Attorney General Troy King said. Kwantrice Thornton, 24, was...
S.C. Vehicle Theft Rate Climbs for 8th Straight Year
Oct 10 2007 // The National Insurance Crime Bureau says the 1995 Honda Accord was the most likely automobile to be stolen in South Carolina in 2006. The 1999 Chevrolet full size C/K 1500 pickup ranked second on the list, followed by the...
Texas Business Owner Sentenced for Workers’ Comp Fraud
Oct 10 2007 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company reported that a Travis County court sentenced a Bryan, Texas, business owner on workers’ compensation fraud-related charges. James N. Vavra was sentenced to two years’ deferred...
Corporations Await Supreme Court Ruling on Reach of Securities Lawsuits
Oct 9 2007 // The hopes of Enron investors are riding on a case being argued before the Supreme Court today that may be the last chance at compensation for their losses when the scandal-ridden energy company collapsed. Much of corporate...
ID Fraud Touches 250,000 Washingtonians Per Year
Oct 9 2007 // Criminal activity in identity fraud touches more than a quarter of a million victims each year in Washington state, and “sucks” well more than $1 billion from the state’s economy, according to...
Former Okla. Police Officer Sentenced in Insurance Fraud Case
Oct 9 2007 // A former Muskogee, Okla., police captain has received a one-year suspended sentence and a $1,000 fine after being found guilty of filing a false insurance claim. A Muskogee County jury convicted Jim Wooten in late July and...
Vehicle Theft Drops Again in 2006
Oct 9 2007 // In 2006, 1,192,809 motor vehicles were reported stolen which is 42,417 fewer than in 2005, representing the third year in a row that vehicle theft has declined. Even so, every 26.4 seconds a vehicle is stolen in the United...
Maine cop hit by stolen police car covered
Oct 8 2007 // A sheriff’s deputy who was run over by his own police vehicle after it was stolen by a Jefferson man on Christmas five years ago is entitled to compensation from his personal car insurance company, Maine’s...
Data breaches expose businesses while highlighting need for coverage
Oct 8 2007 // New data compromise coverage helps businesses respond when data loss occurs The breach of personal data stored in business files and computers is a serious risk for any company that controls the information. Customers and...
Maine cop hit by stolen police car covered
Oct 8 2007 // A sheriff’s deputy who was run over by his own police vehicle after it was stolen by a Jefferson man on Christmas five years ago is entitled to compensation from his personal car insurance company, Maine’s...
Data breaches expose businesses while highlighting need for coverage
Oct 8 2007 // The breach of personal data stored in business files and computers is a serious risk for any company that controls the information. Customers and employees may become the victims of identity theft and fraud. With so many...
Florida Legislature Passes No-Fault Car Insurance for Jan. 1 Return
Oct 6 2007 // Florida drivers, you may want to be a little more careful than usual for the rest of the year. Despite the fact that it caused a lot of late nights and tension for lawmakers and lobbyists this month, most people in Florida...
W.Va. Man Indicted on Arson and Insurance Fraud Charges
Oct 3 2007 // West Virginia enforcement officials formally indicted a Raleigh County man this week on a charge of first degree arson and insurance fraud after allegedly setting fire to his former residence. Officials arrested Andrew B....
State Auditor Finds Evidence of Possible Fraud at La. Citizens
Oct 3 2007 // Louisiana’s insurer of last resort may have illegally spent more than $1 million in public money on trips to Bermuda, fishing excursions, other travel, meals and entertainment, a state audit has found. The...
Ind. Ex-Funeral Director Pleads Guilty to Insurance Fraud Charges
Sep 28 2007 // A former Indiana funeral home director accused of cashing in policies totaling more than $100,000 on 27 people who were still alive has pleaded guilty to four counts of insurance fraud. The plea agreement calls for Kent...
Former Los Angeles Agent Sentenced to Prison
Sep 26 2007 // A former Los Angeles insurance broker surrendered himself to authorities after being convicted of two fraud counts, the California Department of Insurance reported. Gurjeet Singh (aka George Singh), 57, of Los Angeles, was...
