Four in Florida Charged with Faking Auto Accident Injuries to Gain PIP Payouts

Florida authorities this week charged four people with falsifying injuries from an auto accident and attempting to defraud three insurance companies out of personal injury protection payments.

Maria Campos, Isabella Mendez, Madison Martinez, and Krystal Arbona were charged with insurance fraud and grand theft and were booked into jail in Miami.

Florida’s Department of Financial Services said in a statement Tuesday that three of the four were involved in an accident in 2022 that resulted in no injuries. But investigators with DFS found that they had visited a physical therapy clinic, where therapist Campos gave them blank forms to fill out, Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis explained.

“The trio visited the clinic on multiple occasions to sign additional therapy forms despite never receiving a single treatment,” the DFS statement said.

Fraudulent claims of more than $37,000 were submitted to United Auto Insurance Co., Responsive Insurance, and Infinity Automobile Insurance Co, officials alleged. United Automobile Insurance Company paid the clinic approximately $10,000 in PIP benefits.