S.C. A Haven for Insurance Scams
Some officials say South Carolina’s poor record of enforcing insurance fraud laws could make the state a magnet for scammers and result in higher premiums for residents.
According to WISTV in Charleston some state legislators blame the South Carolina State Attorney General’s Office for lax prosecution, but agency officials say budget cuts have made it difficult to enforce the state’s fraud laws.
Last year, 844 fraud complaints totaling nearly $4 million in losses were sent to the attorney general’s office. That’s up from 524 complaints in 1999.
Officials say the attorney general’s small fraud division can’t handle so many complaints. The division relies on a budget of about $300,000 and has two investigators and one prosecutor.