Latest Fraud Headlines
All the headlines from our Fraud Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
Brooke Franchise Corp. Sued for Fraud, Violation of RICO Act
Sep 26 2007 // Overland Park, Kan.-based Brooke Corp. was recently named in a lawsuit that alleges the company participated in fraud, negligence and violated the federal RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations...
Pastor Appears in Colo. Court on Fraud Charges
Sep 25 2007 // A prominent pastor accused of filing fraudulent life insurance claims to funnel money to church groups he controlled appeared in court in Centennial, Colo. Acen Phillips, 72, was accompanied by defense lawyer Gary Lozow...
FBI Report Shows Property Crimes Decrease Again in 2006
Sep 25 2007 // For the fourth year in a row the estimated number of property crimes decreased, according to statistics released by the FBI’s 2006 edition of “Crime in the United States,” a statistical compilation of...
Insurer to Waive $10K Theft Deductible on Nationally Registered Equipment
Sep 24 2007 // Through an alliance between the National Equipment Register and CNA, the insurer will waive up to $10,000 of a policy deductible if a piece of construction equipment registered with the national database is...
Fla. House, Senate Close in on Pact to Extend No-Fault Car Insurance
Sep 24 2007 // Florida legislators reached a general agreement to extend the state’s no-fault car insurance law rather than letting it expire as scheduled on Oct. 1, key members of both chambers said. The requirement that Florida...
Identity Theft Concerns Continue with Computer Tape Stolen in Ohio
Sep 24 2007 // A computer backup tape stolen from a state worker’s car in June contained the personal information of more than 500 county workers from Minnesota. Insurance Journal reported on the theft earlier this year. It was...
TJX Security Breach Settlement Includes ID Theft Insurance
Sep 24 2007 // The TJX Companies has agreed to a settlement of class action lawsuits filed after a massive security breach involving customer data. A statement on the company Web site says the proposed settlement includes three years of...
2 Cabell County, W. Va., Women Indicted on Separate Fraud Charges
Sep 21 2007 // Two West Virginia women were indicted earlier this month on one felony count each of worker’s compensation insurance fraud. If convicted, Erin Chinn and Robin Bird of Cabell County, W. Va., face one to 10 years in...
Former Leading Asbestos Lawyer Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges
Sep 19 2007 // A once-prominent attorney who specialized in asbestos lawsuits pleaded guilty this week in Miami to fraud charges involving thousands of former clients and could face up to 15 years in federal prison. Louis S. Robles, 59,...
Fla. ‘No-Fault’ to Sunset, CFO Urges Legislators to Act
Sep 18 2007 // Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink sent a letter to Gov. Charlie Crist, Senate President Ken Pruitt, House Speaker Marco Rubio and other legislative leaders urging legislative action to either reform Florida’s...
Second N.C. Arrest Made in Alleged Disability Insurance Fraud Case
Sep 17 2007 // North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Jim Long announced the arrest of an Archdale man charged with one count of obtaining property by false pretense. Department investigators arrested Billy George Flynt, 47, on Sept. 13...
S.D. Agent Pleads Guilty to Fraud
Sep 17 2007 // Sioux Falls. S.D. insurance agent Paul Wentzlaff is accused of stealing from two elderly clients and has pleaded guilty to embezzlement and fraud. He could face up to 20 years in prison. Don Srstka, a special assistant...
Honolulu Agent’s License Suspended for Misrepresentation, Fraud
Sep 14 2007 // Hawaii Chief Deputy Insurance Commissioner Gordon Ito has filed for the immediate suspension and a notice to revoke the producer license of Mark K. Teruya for misrepresentation, deceptive acts and fraud. Teruya is...
La. Commissioner Promotes Anti-Auto Theft Curriculum in Schools
Sep 11 2007 // A new public awareness program designed to educate middle and high school students about the consequences of auto theft is underway in Louisiana’s public and private schools this year, according to Commissioner of...
2 Miss. Men Face Sentencing in December for Katrina Fraud
Sep 10 2007 // Two south Mississippi men will be sentenced in December for making false claims for Hurricane Katrina relief, officials said. Danny Gene Hale will be sentenced Dec. 4 on six counts of fraud. Hale was convicted on Sept. 5...
W. Va. Insurance Agent Sentenced on Fraud Charges
Sep 7 2007 // A Harrison County, W. Va.court sentenced an insurance agent earlier this week for forging insurance documents for customers and keeping the money they paid for their premiums. Frank Crowder Jr., 47, of Morgantown, W. Va.,...
