Life Can Look "Funny" Through a Private Eye's Eye

WRAL News spent time recently with a Raleigh private eye, who says her job is dangerous, emotional and sometimes humorous.

Jet skiing can be a risky activity no matter what condition you are in. But imagine how surprised an insurance company was to see a man they insure out on the open water when he is supposed to have a back problem so severe he cannot make it up a flight of stairs.

Fraud Scene Investigator

People don’t normally try to kill you for doing their taxes, but forensic accounting is a whole different ball game.

One morning a few years ago, forensic accountant Al Vondra was driving to work on Cleveland's Interstate 77 as he always did. But this day was different. As he was driving, all four tires on his Buick LeSabre suddenly exploded. The gas tank hit the ground at 65 miles per hour, and the car came to a grinding halt. Fortunately, nothing exploded, and Vondra was able to get to the side of the road and wait for the police.

Port of Seattle Says it Will Hire Fraud Investigator

The Port of Seattle says it will hire an independent investigator to look into possible fraud and contracting problems identified in a state audit.

The port is asking state Auditor Brian Sonntag to recommend an investigator.

Commissioner Bill Bryant says the investigation is needed to restore public trust in the port, which operates Sea-Tac Airport and shipping on the Seattle waterfront.

The state audit found the port wasted $97 million in spending, including some overruns on the third runway project at the airport.

Suspect sought in fraud ring

newsobserver.com | Suspect sought in fraud ring: "State insurance investigators were searching Wednesday for a Rockingham man wanted as the fifth suspect in an insurance fraud ring that bilked $85,000 from six companies over the past decade.

Al Sylvester Smith, 41, faces 22 felony counts of insurance fraud, obtaining property by false pretense and attempting to obtain property by false pretense, investigators said.

Smith and four Anson County residents arrested Tuesday night are suspected of altering police traffic accident reports and hospital bills to file 200 inflated insurance claims in 10 years, said Chet Effler, an investigator in state Insurance Commissioner Jim Long's office.

Three suspects were arrested at the Wal-Mart in Wadesboro during a meeting with an insurance agent staged by investigators. A fourth suspect was arrested at his home."

Ex-funeral director charged with fraud

WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY :: Ex-funeral director charged with fraud: "A former Pikeville funeral home director is facing charges that he bilked customers out of their prepaid funeral money.

Richard A. Justice, was arrested Friday and charged with 19 felonies and one misdemeanor. The charges range from theft to insurance fraud.

Authorities say the 53-year-old Justice allegedly operated the Justice Funeral Home without a license from August 2004 until it closed late last year."

New Hampton couple charged with arson, insurance fraud

Charles City Press - News: "On Feb. 1, officers from the LeClaire and New Hampton police departments and the Iowa State Patrol, with agents from the Division of Criminal Investigation and the State Fire Marshal’s Office, served arrest warrants for Lawrence Atwood, 51, and Patricia Atwood, 50, of New Hampton.

The warrants are for an investigation which was conducted by the LeClair police and fire department, the Scott County sheriff’s office and county attorney and the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The Atwoods have been charged with second-degree arson and insurance fraud.

The fire was reported at 12:30 a.m. on March 5, 2006, at 421 N. 15th St. in LeClaire. The investigation revealed that the fire was incendiary in nature. The house was totally destroyed. No further details are being released at this time."

Former radio talk-show host found guilty of insurance fraud

The Seattle Times: Local News: Former radio talk-show host found guilty of insurance fraud: "Former KIRO radio talk show host Mike Webb was found guilty of insurance fraud this morning and sentenced to 240 hours of community service.

King County Superior Court Judge Julie Spector issued the verdict following an abbreviated trial, in which she reviewed police reports and documents from Webb's first trial, which ended in a mistrial. Webb opted for the abbreviated trial rather than be tried before a jury.

Webb worked for KIRO-AM (710) radio for 10 years and hosted a liberal late-night show before he was fired weeks after being charged with the felony in December 2005.

Prosecutors and police say that Webb filed a fraudulent insurance claim with Geico insurance after a traffic accident on June 28, 2005, when his Lexus was struck by another vehicle driven by an uninsured driver near the University Bridge in Seattle. During Webb's first trial, Geico investigators testified that it wasn't until the day after the accident that Webb purchased an insurance policy online from their company."

Insurance Agent Arrested, Accused Of Fraud

Insurance Agent Arrested, Accused Of Fraud - News 4 Georgia: "An insurance agent was recently arrested, accused of using his position to run a scam.

Investigators in South Georgia said Tony Taylor preyed primarily on the elderly and planned to cash in for himself at the time of their deaths.

Police said Taylor took out life-insurance policies on people without their consent, which is illegal. They said he took out a total of six policies, which could have netted him $600,000."

Doctor pleads guilty in insurance fraud

Doctor pleads guilty in insurance fraud - baltimoresun.com: "A Catonsville doctor pleaded guilty yesterday to health care insurance fraud in federal court in Baltimore.

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According to the plea agreement presented in U.S. District Court, prosecutors said that Albert Gerald Little, 61, who had medical offices in Pikesville and Owings Mills, operated a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs.

His attorney, Joshua Treem, did not return a phone call yesterday."

State targets insurance fraud

State targets insurance fraud - Jacksonville Business Journal:: "Dozens of individuals from Pensacola to Miami are to be arrested this week for insurance fraud schemes the government estimated to total at least $1 million. The state said the majority of the charges will fall under workers' compensation fraud.

That includes both claim fraud and employer fraud.

The state said its second-largest category of charges involve auto insurance fraud, from staged accidents to fraudulent personal injury protection (PIP) insurance claims.

Some of the cases involve insurance agents accused of defrauding customers and several homeowner claim fraud cases, the state added.

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink disclosed the three-day operation - the culmination of months of investigations - stating she wants to send a strong message that Florida will not tolerate this costly crime."

Auto insurance fraud crackdown finally pays off for Lawrence; Good drivers will see 25 percent cut in premiums

EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA - Auto insurance fraud crackdown finally pays off for Lawrence; Good drivers will see 25 percent cut in premiums: "For most of the good drivers in the city once nicknamed 'the auto insurance fraud capital of Massachusetts,' it will cost about $435 less to insure their cars this year.

That's what actuaries of the Automobile Insurers Bureau of Massachusetts calculate for the city's 'average experienced driver' who paid $1,814.60 last year for a policy that included all standard coverages. For those who renew their policies on or after April 1, the 2007 premium would be, for the 'average experienced driver,' $1,378.99 - a 24 percent reduction.

AIB President Daniel Johnston calls it 'the pay off' for the city's unprecedented three-year crackdown on auto insurance fraud."