ICBC names top five frauds of 2008
 

CBC'S special investigations unit has named its top five frauds of 2008. The list is put together by the people who investigate insurance claims to make sure they're legitimate. Sometimes, they aren't.

"We estimate fraud and exaggeration costs each of our 3.1 million customers in the range of $100 to $150 per year," said Steven Tripp, manager of ICBC's SIU.

Below are the five top frauds ICBC uncovered in 2008, as described by them:

Staged accident ring

In September 2008, a court awarded ICBC more than $369,000 from 22 people who worked together to defraud ICBC. This group of friends and family members staged 12 intentional crashes dating back to 1995. In addition to the court award, ICBC secured $226,000 in settlements from various defendants.

'It's not a bribe, it's a tip'

A Vancouver woman, who'd failed the knowledge test three times and the driving test another three times, placed two one hundred dollar bills on the driver examiner's seat before he got into the car. She told investigators she thought the 'tip' would ensure she passed the test. The woman was sentenced to nine months conditional house arrest after pleading guilty to trying to bribe the driver examiner.

'Maybe if I destroy the evidence...'

An Abbotsford man reported his motorcycle stolen. After paying out the claim, ICBC discovered the bike had been abandoned in Sasquatch Provincial Park weeks before the alleged theft.

SIU officers interviewed the man and during a recorded statement, he claimed he lent the bike to a friend who crashed it and wouldn't return it. The man then grabbed the digital recording device and ran out of the Claims Centre. The SIU officer caught up to him but not before the man smashed the recording device to the ground, in an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the evidence.

The man pleaded guilty to making a false statement to ICBC and mischief; he was fined $2,000 and ordered to pay $3,069 in restitution. He was also sentenced to six months probation and 15 hours of community service.

'Caught on tape, working'

After crashing his vehicle, this driver claimed he was too injured to continue to work or even drive. Surveillance video not only showed him working and driving but lifting heavy boxes and equipment as he moved his business to another location.

He pleaded guilty to making a false statement to ICBC and was fined $2,000. He also repaid the $4,400 ICBC had paid him for lost wages.

'Restorative justice at work'

A young Kelowna man admitted to totalling his grandmother's car, after first claiming he was the victim of a hit and run. He opted for the restorative justice program, writing a letter of apology to community members involved, speaking to media about his experience and lessons learned and performing two days of community service. He also had to repay ICBC $18,900 for damage to his grandmother's vehicle.
http://www.theprovince.com/news/story.html?id=1295280

They forgot the biggest fraudster: themselves!

LOL

haha

What really? I thought biggest fraud of 2008 was:

'You crashed your car, it's ours now'

ICBC allegedly sold a hit and run victim's vehicle after declaring it a writeoff. This was done without the owner's signed consent for ICBC to do so. Instead of getting the lawful prosecution it deserved ICBC would like to bribe the victims to STFU by offering extra $600 on top of the value of the vehicle.

ICBC pleaded guilty but no charges are made towards the biggest fraudster of them all.

icbc = the devil

1st thing i thought when i read the thread title :haha:

^
hahahah that is the most important fact about icbc in history

werd


b4 u start pointing fingers at someone, might as well as look urself in the mirror first

:rolleyes:

what happened to the guy at icbc who stepped down after that fraud thing?

Wow, some of these crimes are pretty serious and even when they were caught red-handed, the punishments/backlash is nothing but more than a walk in the park. :o

Don't forget the case where ICBC employees were buying written off cars and selling them as fixed cars that were in minor accidents.

I got a frickin lump in my wrist after being hit by a drunk driver and my injury adjuster guy has the nerve to sound skeptical "well maybe it was there before the accident!" FUCK YOU!!! MAYBE THE GUY NEXT DOOR SNAPPED HIS NECK THEN JUST HAPPENED TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT RIGHT AFTER TOO!

^
You should consult a lawyer that specializes in ICBC injury cases.

i think the whole of bc should go on strike and stop paying icbc! How could we get everyone in the province to abide? Icbc would no longer exist if drivers took this seriously!

^
I don't think that's going to fly.

I think it's stupid how I'd have to dish out 30% for a lawyer. There's no 100% guarantee that I'll make more. I don't understand why ICBC doesn't take people seriously until a lawyer is brought into the equation. FUCK ICBC and their hypocrisy, I get a lump on my wrist you can SEE and FEEL and the dude has the balls to tell me it could've been there before?!?!?!?! WTF ARE WE PAYING THEM FOR?!

its the lawyers fault you're paying him 30%. its your fault you're paying him with no guarantee.

you want to say fuck ICBC? why dont you move to ontario and see how kindly they take to your wrist injury? they will laugh at you, and then not insure you because you've been in an accident. and thats after you payed them 3X the cost of ICBC's coverage.

:werd:

I'm not going to bring and stats or figures to prove my point this time, I'll just use a bit of intuition and logic. My insurance company would be suing the crap out of the other guy and/or his insurance company. An insurance company asking money from a different company versus an insurance company asking money from itself. Which do you think would yield me the highest compensation amount?

if the biggest scams they are catching are only a couple thousand bucks. ICBC needs to try a little harder to find the bigger ones...

fuck icbc they the biggest fraud out there

quoted for truth

why you gata be so right ?:D

You guys who think ICBC are scammers and fraudsters are fucking retarded.