SGI unveils the top five significant insurance fraud cases of the previous year

In recognition of Fraud Prevention Month, insurance company SGI has revealed several notable fraudulent insurance claims that its specialized investigative unit brought to light during 2023. Overall, the unit analyzed 481 claims, 263 of which were fraudulent, amounting to a staggering $5.9 million.

One case involved a woman whose car was allegedly stolen after she accidentally dropped her keys on her driveway. However, the police had already come across the vehicle earlier after receiving reports of a possible impaired driver fitting her description. The car, full of empty bottles and smelling of alcohol, was found abandoned with its keys missing. The woman later admitted to being drunk and hitting three parked cars before alleging her car had been stolen.

Another case concerned a woman who reported $90,000 worth of property, including jewelry, stolen from her car while she was on vacation. Despite having submitted invoices for the replacement items, SGI realized they were fabricated and the jewelry never legally entered Canada. The claim was subsequently denied.

In a separate incident, an anonymous tip-off led SGI to a man who was seen damaging his car before filing an insurance claim. It was later discovered that three different claims had been made for similar damage from three separate vehicle owners all linked to the same address and phone number. The insurance company concluded the damage had been inflicted intentionally to defraud the system.

Lastly, there was a case of a woman falsely claiming substantial property loss on her home insurance. She stated all her belongings had been stolen and that even her vital documents had been taken, preventing her from providing receipts. However, it was later found that she had no garage, contrary to her claim, and witnesses reported seeing her list the supposedly stolen items for sale. When confronted, the woman abandoned her claim.