A Video Explaining How insurance Fraud Cost Everyone

A Fictionalized True Crime Story -- "The Hawaiian"

One of many Fictionalized True Crime Stories of Insurance Fraud from an Expert who explains why Insurance Fraud is a “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose” situation for Insurers. The stories help to Understand How Insurance Fraud in America is Costing Everyone who Buys Insurance Thousands of Dollars Every year and Why Insurance Fraud is Safer and More Profitable for the ­­­Perpetrators than any Other Crime. As you read the story and watch the video I hope they help you understand the effect that insurance fraud has on the perpetrators, the insurers, the people who need insurance, the people who buy insurance, and the people who keep the promises made by insurance policies.

The Hawaiian

The insured was a contractor in Honolulu. He created fraudulent jewelry appraisals and attempted to defraud his insurer. After a thorough investigation the adjuster proved the fraud to the insurer's satisfaction and "wrote a simple brief, letter to the insured stating as follows: 'Your claim is denied because it was presented by you with the knowledge that it was false and fraudulent.'”

He said nothing more. The adjuster, as required by law, reported his findings to the local police agency and to the U.S. Postal Inspectors. Both promised to complete a prompt criminal investigation and prosecute the insured for insurance fraud. On the fifth year after the denial, just before the statute of limitations ran, the U.S. Attorney caused the insured to be arrested for insurance fraud, wire and mail fraud. On the testimony of the adjuster and the secretary the insured was convicted. The court sentenced him to five years in jail, suspended on the condition that he actually serve 30 days and that he make restitution of $10,000 in investigation costs to the insurer.

Five years have elapsed since his conviction. He is still making a living as a contractor in Hawaii defrauding his customers. He paid when the probation officer caught him what he told the probation officer he could afford. In five years the insured paid, on the restitution order that is a condition of his probation, a total of $250.00. His probation is over.

The crime did not succeed. He did not collect $500,000. The insurance company did not succeed. It paid out over $10,000 to its investigators which it will never recover and the ordered restitution was never paid.

© 2021 – Barry Zalma

Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE, now limits his practice to service as an insurance consultant specializing in insurance coverage, insurance claims handling, insurance bad faith and insurance fraud almost equally for insurers and policyholders. He also serves as an arbitrator or mediator for insurance related disputes. He practiced law in California for more than 44 years as an insurance coverage and claims handling lawyer and more than 52 years in the insurance business. He is available at http://www.zalma.com and zalma@zalma.com.

Mr. Zalma is the first recipient of the first annual Claims Magazine/ACE Legend Award.

Over the last 53 years Barry Zalma has dedicated his life to insurance, insurance claims and the need to defeat insurance fraud. He has created the following library of books and other materials to make it possible for insurers and their claims staff to become insurance claims professionals.

Go to the podcast Zalma On Insurance at https://anchor.fm/barry-zalma; Follow Mr. Zalma on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bzalma; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://rumble.com/c/c-262921; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCysiZklEtxZsSF9DfC0Expg; Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://zalma.com/blog/insurance-claims-library/ Read posts from Barry Zalma at https://parler.com/profile/Zalma/posts; and Read last two issues of ZIFL here.