FL CFO investigators arrest 19 staged accident scammers in statewide sweep

2010-03-19 04:50:09 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Criminal law, Justice News Flash)

Statewide sweep results in arrests of 19 people accused of insurance fraud.

Legal News for Florida Criminal Attorneys. Nineteen people suspected of insurance fraud were arrested after a sweep was conducted throughout the state of Florida.

Florida criminal lawyer alerts- Statewide search results in arrest of 19 scammers accused of insurance fraud.

Tallahassee, FL—Nineteen people, suspected of being “staged accident scammers” to commit insurance fraud, were arrested last week after a statewide sweep was conducted. As of July 2009, a total of 259 people have been arrested for committing alleged Personal Injury Protection (PIP) fraud, with 156 of those arrests resulting in convictions. The most recent arrests took place in Fort Myers, Miami, Orlando, Pensacola, Tampa, and West Palm Beach. Alex Sink, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), announced the mass detainment on Monday, March 15, 2010, according to information provided by MyFoxOrlando.com.

In connection with the statewide search for those illegally involved in insurance fraud, CFO Alex Sink reportedly stated, “Staged accidents put every Floridian at risk, both physically and financially… I am taking aggressive action every day to get these scammers off our streets and behind bars where they belong.” With PIP fraud allegedly accounting for thirty percent of all referrals received by the Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud from 2008 to 2009, PIP fraud was deemed to be the most commonly reported form of fraud.

Insurance fraud, in which scammers make claims to gain compensation from insurance companies after premeditated and fabricated accidents are seemingly performed, is considered a third degree felony. Perpetrators who commit insurance fraud are reportedly susceptible to facing up to five years in prison for their crimes.

Legal News Reporter: Sandra Quinlan- Legal News for Florida Criminal Lawyers.