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TOP 5 FRAUDS OF 2016 REVEALED BY MPI

 

 

Caught in a lie!

 

 

 

 

 

Top 5 insurance frauds in Manitoba

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) has seen it all. In 2016 their Special Investigation Unit (SIU) took a look at 2100 cases ranging from staged accidents to bogus car thefts. In all the unit saved MPI more than $8.2 million.

The SIU has searched through their files from the past year to with you their top 5 fraudsters of 2016.

 

MPI TIP LINE

 

 

No. 1: Camera’s don’t lie

A pedestrian said he was hit by a car, injured and unable to work. The driver of the vehicle was adamant that there was no accident. An SIU investigator went to the scene and noticed that several businesses had security cameras mounted on their buildings. After looking at the footage, the investigator was able to see the pedestrian approaching the parking lot. Clearly, there had been no collision between the vehicle and pedestrian.

 The claim was denied.

 

No. 2: It’s a lemon

The owner of a Porsche told MPI that his vehicle had been stolen from his apartment block parking lot in Winnipeg.  The story quickly unravelled after the RCMP notified MPI that a badly damaged/vandalized Porsche had been located in a rural area. Turns out the police reported to MPI a full day before the owner claimed his car had been stolen. 

During examination of the Porsche, it was discovered that the vehicle was in need of major mechanical repairs, which would have cost the owner several thousand dollars. 

Claim denied.

No. 3: Manitoban-NOT!

A man was severely injured in the United States after being involved in a crash. His family claimed he had been visiting the U.S. and opened an injury claim with Manitoba Public Insurance. While processing the claim, the case manager received information from a number of agencies which confirmed the man had not lived in Manitoba for several years, making him ineligible to for benefits.

All Manitoba residents are entitled to benefits under the Personal Injury Protection Plan (PIPP). Outside of the province, many insurance plans are structured differently and don’t always provide the robust coverage available under Manitoba’s no-fault injury compensation plan. Because of this, some individuals may try to claim they are Manitoba residents in order to receive PIPP benefits.

Presented with this information, the man’s family withdrew their claim. 

No. 4: Feeling Guilty?

After a number of unusual details came to surface, a father and son were asked to give a statement to an SIU investigator about the theft of a pick-up truck. During the interview the son made a surprising offer: to write a promissory note to Manitoba Public Insurance for nearly $11,000 (damage costs). The son then declined to discuss his financial generosity.

However, the facts spoke volumes: the father, who was the registered owner, stated the truck had been stolen from his residence. One day after the reported theft, the same truck rear-ended another vehicle and fled the scene with several people witnessing the crash.

No. 5: Nope… not an accident if you plan it!

Two vehicles collide and are badly damaged.  The investigation reveals these two individuals involved knew each other. Turns out their vehicles were both in poor running condition. A seasoned traffic re-constructionist testified that this crash was no accident, but a staged collision.

One driver pleaded guilty to fraud over $5,000. He received a two-year suspended sentence with supervised probation, 100 hours of community service work and a restitution order of $17,000 to repay Manitoba Public Insurance.

The second driver, who was also charged with fraud over $5,000, did not appear in court. A warrant for his arrest has since been issued.

 

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