Kansas Insurance Agent Accused of $108K Fraud Scheme

The Kansas Insurance Department (KID) has issued an emergency license suspension for a Smith Center, Kansas, insurance agent following an investigation of a complaint from an insurance company.

Trisha A. Wiehl’s insurance license has been suspended after an insurance department investigation into an alleged scheme to defraud Buckeye Insurance Co. of more than $108,000. The suspension will remain in place until resolution of a previously issued department summary order.

Both orders alleged that 36 checks from Buckeye, an Ohio-based insurance carrier, had been issued to SCI Body Shop in Kensington, Kansas, totaling $108,117.10. All but one of these checks were issued by Wiehl in the last quarter of 2017.

Investigators determined that SCI Body Shop does not exist. They also contacted alleged claimants who stated they had not made any claim regarding the funds paid out. Wiehl admitted to KID investigators that she signed and endorsed the checks with the initials “SCI.”

The insurance department advises consumers that if they have any questions regarding their insurance policies and any action taken on their part, they should contact their insurance carriers directly. The attorney general’s has office filed criminal charges against Wiehl.

Source: Kansas Insurance Department