‘Fraud Fighters’ Pay $16,000 in Rewards

Five individuals who reported fraud perpetrators have received $16,000 in cash rewards from the Florida Financial Services Department after the recipients, including a child, provided information that led fraud detectives to thwart more than $1 million in fraudulent insurance claims.

The biggest reward of $10,000 went to two individuals who testified against a man who falsely claimed to be injured by falling ceiling tiles in his apartment.

The department’s Fraud Fighters program pays up to $25,000 for information that directly leads to the arrest and conviction of individuals committing insurance fraud. The individual rewards are based on the potential dollar loss in each case. Below are summaries of the cases (names are held confidential):

Caroline, who had no insurance, gave false statements to American Family and State Farm Insurance companies and, posing as Leslie, obtained more than $15,000 in benefits to which she was not entitled. Caroline was convicted of two counts of false and fraudulent insurance claims and grand theft on June 24, 2005. Leslie Galloway was convicted of obstruction of a law enforcement officer on Sept. 19, 2005.

The Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud, investigates various forms of fraud in insurance, including health, life, auto, property and workers’ compensation insurance. Anyone with information about these cased or another possible fraud scheme should call the department’s Fraud Fighters Hotline at 1-800-378-0445. A reward of up to $25,000 may be offered for information leading to a conviction.