Some Reasons Why Insurance Premiums Are High.

Fraud Claims - here are - 4 real cases of fraud

True stories where claims have been denied because of fraud.

March 20, 2012

In support of fraud awareness month this March, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has collected some true stories of recent claims that left investigators shaking their heads.

1) The Repo Man

The driveway was empty and the car was gone. That part of the man’s story was indeed true. He had reported that his car had been stolen and filed a claim, but something didn’t seem quite right so the investigator got in touch with the finance company the man had used to buy the car. They told a different story. He had failed to make payments so they had repossessed it and towed it away—a fact the man failed to mention to the insurance company. Claim denied.

2) Oh Deer

It was apparently a long and winding road filled with all kinds of hazards and a few lies. The man told the insurance company he had hit a deer and claimed that his car was badly damaged. Then his story changed. Maybe it wasn’t a deer, he said, it could have been a rabbit or even a groundhog. The investigator thought they must have some pretty big rabbits and groundhogs in these parts. Well, said the man, maybe it was a fence or a post. How a fence or a post jumped out onto the road was never made clear. Claim denied.

3) Up In Smoke

At first, it had all the hallmarks of an all-too-familiar tragedy. A family had lost all their worldly possessions in a house fire. The husband, the wife and daughter all said they had no idea how it started. The first clue came from a neighbour. He had spotted smoke coming from the house and ran over to check that there was no one inside. He also remembered seeing the wife’s car pull away shortly before the smoke appeared. Two weeks earlier, it turned out, she had stopped by her insurance agent’s office to check that the policy was up to date and paid for. Charges pending. Claim denied.

4) The Camera Never Lies

The traffic was stop-and-go on one of Canada’s busiest highways. The man said he was stopped when he was rear ended by the car behind him, and he filed a claim for the damage. Unfortunately for him the car behind had a camera mounted on the dashboard. The recording clearly shows the claimant actually reversing his car and hitting the car behind him. He then gets out to examine the damage he’s caused. There was significant news coverage of the event. Claim denied. Charges laid.