Staged Crashes, False Claims Lead To 26 Arrests In Auto Insurance Fraud Ring

Warrants for the arrest of 26 people were issued Wednesday in connection with an automobile insurance fraud ring, officials said. A 16-month investigation revealed that the people in the alleged crime circle staged crashes and filed false insurance claims, Georgia Department of Insurance spokesman Glenn Allen said in a news release. Payouts from 12 companies involved in more than 50 suspicious claims totaled $155,925, Allen said. The 326 charges range from fraud and theft by deception to racketeering and exploitation of an elder person, Allen said. “Also, the suspects allegedly used multiple aliases and stole identities on the insurance claims to avoid detection by insurers,” Allen said. “Fraud Investigators allege that the ring attempted to get payouts totaling more than $500,000.”