Latest Fraud Headlines
All the headlines from our Fraud Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Former Principal of Missouri Boarding School Charged with Sex Crimes Involving Student
Oct 31 2024 // A former principal at a Christian boarding school in Missouri that closed in March amid abuse allegations has been charged with sex crimes involving a former student. Craig Wesley Smith Jr. was charged by the prosecutor in...
Allstate, Roberto Clemente Agency Settle Racial Bias, Fraud Dispute
Oct 30 2024 // The son of the late Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente and Allstate Insurance Co. have settled their disputes over Allstate’s cancellation of the Clemente Family Agency’s contract and...
JPMorgan Sues Customers Over Check Fraud Linked to Glitch That Went Viral
Oct 30 2024 // JPMorgan Chase, the largest U.S. bank, has begun suing customers for check fraud, saying they improperly withdrew funds by taking illegal advantage of a temporary technical glitch that went viral on TikTok. The glitch in...
Homeowners Insurance Does Not Cover Cryptocurrency Theft, 4th Circuit Affirms
Oct 29 2024 // A federal appeals court has affirmed that a homeowners insurance policy does not cover the theft of cryptocurrency because the loss of a digital currency does not involve a “direct physical loss” as required by...
California Vocational School Owner Charged With Fraud in Workers’ Comp Scheme
Oct 25 2024 // The owner of a Fresno, California-based for-profit vocational school was charged with engaging in fraudulent billing practices related to workers’ compensation. Paul Steve Ramirez, 59, was charged with 11 felony...
Former Iowa Insurance Producer Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering
Oct 21 2024 // William Berg, an insurance producer and former financial advisor from Waukee, Iowa, was sentenced to nine years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty in federal court to wire fraud and money laundering charges. In...
Four Charged In $10 Million No-Fault Insurance Fraud Scheme
Oct 18 2024 // Four men have been charged with defrauding New York auto insurers by allegedly submitting more than $10 million in fraudulent claims for psychological services —and then laundering the proceeds of that fraud through a...
Markets/Coverages: Coalition Launches UK Clawback Service to Recover Money Stolen in Cyber Attacks
Oct 18 2024 // Coalition, the San Francisco-based cyber managing general agent and cybersecurity firm, has become the first cyber insurance provider in the UK to launch a service dedicated to recovering funds stolen by cyber...
Former Texas Police Chief Convicted of Insurance Fraud
Oct 16 2024 // A federal jury convicted former Castroville Police Chief, Christopher Filline, for one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas announced. According to...
Former California Agent Pleads Guilty to 90 Counts of Insurance Fraud
Oct 11 2024 // A former insurance broker has pleaded guilty to a number of charges including insurance fraud for collecting premiums without placing coverage. Karen Marie Dondanville, 56, a former broker from Mission Viejo, pleaded...
Two Iowa Men Charged With Insurance Fraud
Oct 10 2024 // Michael Vecchio, age 50, of Sioux Center was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud – Presenting False Information (Class D Felony) and Todd Meendering, age 61, of Boyden was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud...
Citi Pushes Back on New York’s Online Fraud Suit: We’re Not ‘Bad Guys’
Oct 9 2024 // Citigroup Inc. said US banks will be forced into a “dramatic shift” in how electronic payments are processed if New York state wins a lawsuit claiming the company doesn’t do enough to prevent online...
Iowa Woman Charged With Insurance Fraud
Oct 3 2024 // An Iowa woman was charged with insurance fraud following an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau. Antonia Maddison, age 46, of Sully, was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud –...
Hollywood Car Stunts Turn Into Real Crimes With Street Takeovers
Sep 30 2024 // California, the birthplace of hot rod culture and televised police chases, is cracking down on a surge in deadly street takeovers. Often organized through social media, these chaotic events — also known as sideshows —...
Appellate Judges Skeptical of New York Civil Fraud Case Against Trump
Sep 27 2024 // Appeals court judges signaled skepticism on Thursday toward the civil fraud case brought by New York state against Donald Trump as the former president asked them to toss a nearly half-billion dollar judgment against him...
Crimes Against Customers: Part 3 – Technology Crimes
Sep 26 2024 // This post is part of a series sponsored by AgentSync. Insurance compliance is serious business. Falling out of compliance can have real consequences for everyone from insurance agencies, carriers, MGAs, and MGUs, to...
Norcross Defense Team Pans Racketeering Case as ‘Crime Thriller With No Crime’
Sep 26 2024 // Lawyers for New Jersey insurance executive and political power broker George Norcross III say the state’s 111-page indictment against him and others for alleged racketeering is a “crime thriller with no...
Hackers Demand $6M for Files Stolen From Seattle Airport Operator in Cyberattack
Sep 20 2024 // Hackers are demanding $6 million in bitcoin from the operator of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for documents they stole during a cyberattack last month and posted on the dark web this week, an airport official...
California Labor Commissioner Gets $1.7M Settlement in Wingstop Wage Theft Case
Sep 19 2024 // The California Labor Commissioner’s Office reached a $1.7 million wage theft settlement for 550 workers in an alleged scheme in which the owner of multiple Wingstop locations in Bakersfield created separate corporate...
Louisiana Commissioner Warns Against Contractor Fraud Post-Hurricane Francine
Sep 16 2024 // Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple is warning residents to be aware of contractor fraud following Hurricane Francine. Large storms events such as hurricanes provide an opening for dishonest services providers to...
