The task force set up by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) in Southern Florida to tackle auto vehicle insurance fraud seems to be working.
However, the task force's presence down south has led to criminals moving north to keep their illegal actions going.
Between 2008 and 2009, there appeared to be a 290% increase in questionable claims related to staged auto accidents, in Tampa, Florida.
Joe Wehrle, NICB president and chief executive officer, says that the increased efforts of the NICB down south is one of the primary reasons for the increase in questionable injury claims related to staged auto accidents.
The number of questionable claims related to suspected staged accidents reported to the NICB from member companies increased by 58 percent from Jan. 1, 2008 to Dec. 31, 2009. The number of questionable claims for all fraud types in Florida increased 15 percent, according to the NICB.
The NICB says that criminals are taking advantage of Florida’s no-fault insurance laws, which are helping them make successful fradulent insurance claims.
Previous studies show Florida has had the highest rates of fraud in bodily injury and personal injury protection (PIP) among a dozen states with no-fault laws, according to the NICB
From 2008 through 2009 questionable claims in Florida for bodily injury increased 73 percent and PIP rose 52 percent.
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