Fraud squad releases annual top ten list

The Canadian Coalition Against Insurance Fraud (CCAIF) has handed down its annual “Top Ten” list of insurance fraud schemes, and topping the list is a bilingual fraudster who tried to double file a claim by using both official languages.Other examples highlighted in the list include a woman who claimed health benefits after a falling from a moving car, claiming she was blind. Her employer was more than happy to confirm that she was a hard-worker who was particularly good a spotting shoplifters, revealing her claim to be bogus.Another claim involved a man who says he fell while taking a shower when his house was struck by a pickup truck. Unfortunately the same man had also given an interview to the local newspaper, saying he had witnessed the entire incident because he was standing the house. A determined adjuster picked up the inconsistency while reviewing newspaper articles about the incident.While the stories are amusing, CCAIF executive director Nancy Tibbo notes that fraud is no laughing matter. “When somebody submits a false or exaggerated insurance claim, all of our costs go up,” she says.