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Insurance companies investigate a slew of potential insurance fraud cases every single year—which is what makes it difficult, at times, for the honest to successfully receive a payout on their claims. Believe it, or not, everyday people just like you concoct some highly outrageous schemes to score unearned cash and sometimes get away with it.
Sometimes, being the key word there! Let us present exhibits A, B, and C.
A. A Successful Art Heist Goes Awry
In 2007, an art collector by the name of Jason Sheedy packed up his entire collection of fine art and collectibles—valued at around $275,000—into a van outside of his home in St. Paul, Minnesota. Claiming to his insurance company—AXA Art Insurance Corp—that a thief had cut the padlock on the van and made off with the small fortune, Sheedy successfully collected more than $250,000.
That’s right, he completely got away with it.
Unfortunately, a few years later in 2011, Sheedy misguidedly decided to try and make a little more cash and put the “stolen” art up for auction on ArtBrokerage.com—a website frequented by the good people over at AXA Art Insurance Corp. Needless to say, they took notice and probably said something like, “Heeeyy…,” or so we imagine.
B. Hollywood-Inspired Diamond Dealings
Our next blunder was concocted by two diamond dealers from New York who allegedly cooked up their scheme after drawing inspiration from the movie Snatch!
With a failing business weighing heavy on their finances, these two decided to steal their own inventory, blame it on burglars, and then sail off into the sunset with a nice insurance check, free of any further financial woe, their pockets filled with diamonds.
Unfortunately, these two tricksters failed to read “Con Artists 101” and didn’t disable their own security cameras before the big night. Everything was caught on tape, including the two shop owners removing their own inventory before the burglars arrive, as well as the hired burglars being buzzed in to steal the replaced empty boxes. Oops.
C. Self-Inflicted Personal Injury Suites
Initially reported by the U.K.’s Financial News, a 16-year veteran of the personal injury trickster trade was finally caught after it was determined that his most recent claim was completely bogus. The man claimed that he’d been shot in the chest by a shopkeeper after being falsely accused of being a thief.
Once it was determined that the man was lying—you’d think he’d be better at it after 16 years—he further confessed to several other cases of personal injury fraud, including: being stabbed by a family member back in 2004, sustaining injury from an air rifle in 1995, and slipping on the floor of a public bathroom in Wales.
Wouldn’t it have been easier—not to mention safer—to just get a job?
This post was brought to you by Suncorp Life Insurance. While the stories mentioned above may seem unbelievable, they all actually happened. It’s important that you make an educated decision when making an important decision, like considering life insurance. Find out more at suncorp’s website, to learn more about what’s involved & make the right decision.
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