Insurance scams by individuals against insurance companies are becoming common practice just as it is common practice for them getting caught in their illegal endeavors. Since there are many types of insurance in both the United States and Canada, there are many different types of insurance scams that exist from Worker’s Comp scams to car insurance scams. In the end, these scams cost the individuals who are playing fair more in insurance than what they should have to pay. Below you will find the top 10 most common insurance scams by individuals.
Car Insurance (scams 1-6)
Car insurance accident scams may just be the most common of them all and there are actually more of them. These scams include:
o The paper accident – The criminal solicits an auto repair or salvage company to participate in an accident that only exists on paper
o Fictitious hit and run – The hit and run never happened
o The Swoop and Swat technique – When the criminal swoops in front of another car and stops while an accomplice pulls to the side of the target car, keeping it from swerving out of the way.
o The almighty sideswipe – This one occurs at turn lanes and intersections. The criminal takes multiple left turns to eventually end up in the targets lane.
o The friendly wave -The criminal waves at the victim to let them in front of them in heavy traffic and then quickly accelerates to have a collision.
Another but more subtle scam that is perpetrated by individuals is the “primary driver” scam. There are times in which an individual in a household may be cheaper on the insurance of a particular car. So instead of the actual primary driver being listed as the primary driver, the one who will be easier on the wallet is listed as the primary driver.
Life Insurance (scams 7 and 8)
This may seem like something from a lifetime movie, but unfortunately it does happen in real life. A spouse takes out a life insurance policy on the other and then they put antifreeze in their coffee to poison them or something so that they can collect on the life insurance money. Fortunately, the perpetrator gets caught most of the time, but it still doesn’t keep those who feel that, “I’ll never get caught” from trying.
Lying on life insurance applications is a scam in itself. Individuals are required to fill out certain pieces of information on the insurance application that can influence the price of it, which can actually hurt the perpetrator more than help them. Sure, it helps their pocket, but if it is found that the application was falsified in any way, coverage may not be awarded to beneficiaries.
Worker’s Compensation (scam 9)
Worker’s Compensation is meant to help someone who has been injured on the job. Sometimes someone drawing Worker’s Compensation may lie to their doctor or get the doctor in on it with them so that they may draw benefits longer without having to go back to work. Unfortunately, this practice is all too common and costs lots of money.
Health insurance (scam 10)
Health insurance tends to not be as common a target as those previously mentioned, but it is certainly not out of the question. One scam is the offering of phony health insurance. An individual or group of individuals will call unsuspecting people to offer them health coverage to only receive nothing. The next thing they know they are calling the actual insurance company and there is no record of coverage.
So these are some of the most common scams perpetrated against the different branches of insurance. Some get away with the most subtle of offenses, but the more severe the crime the more likely they are to do time for it. That’s why it is better to be honest than not even chance trying to illegally obtain money through insurance scams.
