Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
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As part of marking Fraud Prevention Month, SGI has released tales of some of the biggest cases of fraud its investigators caught this year.
Overall, the company said its special investigations unit saved it some $7 million in 2017.
These were the five most memorable cases of fraud that came across investigators’ desks.
Made in America: Suspicious receipt sinks fake claim
In one case, investigators were able to spot a small discrepancy in a theft claim for jewelry, clothes and expensive computer equipment.
A man submitted a claim for just under $25,000 under his SGI Canada policy. He included a number of receipts to prove the value of the items he was claiming were stolen.
However, a closer look revealed a phony receipt for a diamond ring. The fake receipt reportedly included the real address of a legitimate jewelry store, but had a line reading “Zip Code” where the postal code was supposed to be.
This led investigators to determine the man had used an online receipt generator to create a fake. Unfortunately for him, it was a U.S.-based site that couldn’t output a proper six-digit Canadian postal code.
The jewelry store listed on the receipt confirmed it was a fake.
SGI reported the man’s entire claim was denied as a result of the fraud. He was also flagged as “high risk” in the company’s system. This could leave him unable to get insurance elsewhere.
Black box busted: Car computer cracks case
A woman told the insurance company someone hit her parked vehicle and then left the scene.
Her car told SGI’s investigators a different story.
Information downloaded from the vehicle’s event data recorder not only showed the car was moving at the time of the crash, but the collision happened on a different day than the owner reported.
Event data recorders, similar in function to the “black box” found on an aircraft, are a feature increasingly included in modern vehicles.
The woman withdrew her claim when shown the results of the investigation, saving SGI an $8,000 payout.
Caught on tape: Fraudster steals own vehicle
A man told SGI his vehicle was stolen and then left heavily damaged near a local business.
Investigators found surveillance footage showing the man driving the already-damaged vehicle to the scene.
SGI denied his $14,000 claim and has pursued criminal charges in the case.
Liar, liar vehicle fire
A man put in a claim after his vehicle went up in flames in an early morning fire.
However, a neighbour’s tip led investigators to footage from a home surveillance system showing someone tinkering with the vehicle shortly before the fire.
Further investigation reportedly linked the owner to the blaze. His $8,000 claim was denied and he now faces criminal charges.
Highway robbery: Tipster tells tale of torched truck
The owner of a logging truck told SGI his rig broke down on the side of a highway in Northern Saskatchewan. He reported coming back to the scene to find the truck completely burnt.
However, an anonymous tipster had a different story for SGI’s investigators, informing them the blaze had been deliberately set.
Analysis of the burnt remains confirmed the fire was started on purpose, with investigators then determining the owner was behind the fire.
The truck owner’s $60,000 claim was denied and he now faces criminal charges.
