Insurance fraud on the rise

BUSINESS. I AM A COLLABORATOR FRIEND. AUTO INSURANCE FRAUD IS THE TOP SOURCE OF INSURANCE FRAUD IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. I SUBMIT THAT WILL INFORM US OF THIS AND OTHER SOURCES OF INSURANCE FRAUD. BUT FOR NOW, FIRST, THOSE OF US WHO HAVE COMPLAINTS ABOUT INSURANCE. WE HAVE SEEN A RECORD RECOVERY OF OUR INSURANCE FUNDS IN 2020 TO BUY HAMPSHIRE’S NEW INSURANCE DEPARTMENT. AND LET ME SHOW YOU THE NUMBERS. 4080 INSURANCE ASSISTANCE REQUESTS, 929 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS INVESTIGATOR. PHONES, 4.1 MILLION RECOVERED BY EQUALLY CRITICAL IS THE INSURANCE FRAUD LAWSUIT FUNDED? WHICH IS FUNDED BY MY GUEST. AND IT’S. 298 REFERENCES TO 22 TOTAL CLAIMS PROSECUTED, 18 WERE AUTO INSURANCE, TWO WORKERS COMPANY, ONE ACCOMMODATION INSURANCE AND ONE DISABILITY INSURANCE. TOTAL FRAUDULENT RECOVERY. OH NO, TOTAL CLAIMS 283,000. AND WITH MY GOAL WITH ME IS THE INSURANCE FRAUD INVESTIGATOR IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. INSURANCE DEPARTMENT INSURANCE FRAUD DIRECTOR BRENDAN HARRIS WELCOME. NICE TO HAVE YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME TODAY. IS INSURANCE FRAUD ON THE RISE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE? YES SIR. I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT IT’S RISING. WE SEE APPROXIMATELY 300 REFERENCES ON MY DESK EVERY YEAR. AND AS YOU MENTIONED, WE HAD 22 CASES PROSECUTED, WHICH WAS A RECORD FOR THIS FRAUD. YOU KNOW WHAT? WHAT IS ALMOST COMMON? I WANT, AUTO INSURANCE IS ONE OF IT. BUT YOU ALSO TOLD ME BEFORE RECORDING FAKE RECORDS. YES. AUTO INSURANCE STILL HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF FRAUDULENT CASES IN ANY STATE IN THE USA. BUT WE ARE SEEING A HUGE INCREASE IN FAKE FILES WHERE PEOPLE CREATE FAKE FILES WITH LIKE ADOBE PRO THEN SUBMIT THEM AS PART OF A CLAIM. AND GET PAID BY INSURERS. YEAH. AND AND SOME EXAMPLES OF THOSE, TOO. OF COURSE. PAST POSTING IS THE MOST COMMON INSURANCE FRAUD. SO IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, YOU DO NOT NEED INSURANCE ON YOUR CAR. AND SOME OF THESE PEOPLE WILL HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THEY HAVE A LOSS, THEN WHILE THEY ARE AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT, THEY ACTUALLY BUY AN INSURANCE POLICY. AND THEN THEY FILE A CLAIM ON THEIR POLICE MOMENTS AFTER, LIKE MAYBE THE MORNING. AND THEY LIE ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT TRYING TO GET THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO PAY THEIR DAMAGE AND DAMAGE TO THE OTHER CAR. AS FOR FALSE RECORDS, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WILL MAKE FALSE CLAIMS FOR LIKE EATING FOOD POISONING IN RESTAURANTS, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEY WILL CREATE THEIR OWN MEDICAL RECORDS, BANK RECORDS, EMERGENCY RECORDS, ANYTHING YOU MAY NEED TO SETTLEMENT MY CLAIM. VERY WELL. THEY WILL CREATE THEM ON ADOBE PRO AND THEY WILL SUBMIT THEM TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. AND IN ONE CASE, A YOUNG WOMAN SITTING IN A FEDERAL JAIL. NOW WE HAVE TRYED TO WIN $428,000 USING HER CHILDREN’S NAME AS WELL AS HERSELF. WELL, THIS IS MY UNDERSTANDING IN ADDITION TO THE PERSON WHO COMMITTED THE FRAUD, THE INSURANCE COMPANY CAN ALSO BE SUED FOR FRAUD. THEY CAN. WE FOCUS ON INSURANCE AGENTS. IF AN INSURANCE AGENT ACCEPTS MONEY FROM A CUSTOMER WHO COMES TO PAY AN INSURANCE POLICY OR SOMETHING OF IT AND STEALS THAT MONEY, THEN WE SUE THOSE INSURANCE AGENTS. SO WHEN YOU GIVE MONEY TO AN INSURANCE AGENT. BUT ONE THING HE CAN DO WITH IT, AND THAT IS BUY YOUR POLICY, BUY YOUR ANNUITY PRODUCT, BUY ANYTHING YOU GIVE HIM THE MONEY TO BUY IT. IF HE’S USING IT FOR PERSONAL USE LIKE IN ONE CASE THE GUY TOOK THE MONEY TO LAS VEGAS AND PLAYED IT ALL IN THREE DAYS. SO, YEAH, WE WILL SUE THESE INSURANCE AGENTS. WHAT CAN THE AVERAGE PERSON DO IF THEY THINK A FRAUD IS COMMITTED AGAINST THEM? AND WE WILL SEND AN EMAIL IN A MINUTE, BUT WHAT CAN I DO? THEY SHOULD CALL ME. YOU CAN CALL THE NEW HAMPSHIRE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT. YOU CAN ASK TO SPEAK TO BRENDAN HARRIS OF THE INSURANCE FRAUD UNIT. I WILL TAKE YOUR CALL PERSONALLY AND MAKE SURE IT IS REVIEWED. YOU KNOW WHEN YOU SAY INSURANCE FRAUD IS ON THE RISE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, WHAT YOU JUST DID, WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE YOU FOCUSING ON? MOST WILL BE AUTO INSURANCE JUST BECAUSE IT’S THE HIGHEST NUMBER. INSURANCE CONDITIONS. YEAH. SO WE WORK HARD TO TRY TO JUST PREVENT PEOPLE FROM DOING INSURANCE FRAUD IN THE PAST. ANY EXAMPLE OF YOUR EAR DOES THIS. THAT STAND OUT FOR YOU. SOMETHING YOU REMEMBER BECAUSE IT WAS SO UNUSUAL IN ONE PARTICULAR CASE THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN WHO REPORTED HIS CAR STOLEN. HE WAS FOUND BURNED APPROXIMATELY 24 HOURS LATER. I have been asked to investigate this case. AND THROUGHOUT MY INTERVIEW WITH HIM, HE CLOSED AND CONFESSED THAT HE DIDN’T BURN THE VEHICLE FOR INSURANCE MONEY. HE REALLY KILLED SOMEBODY. OH MAN. AND PUT THE BODY IN THE CAR THEN BURN THE VEHICLE TO HIDE THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. BRENDAN HARRIS, DIRECTOR OF FRAUD FOR THE NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HOSTING ME. NICE TO HAVE YOU. AND IF YOU MISSED THE FACT, HERE IS THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE NEW HAMPSHIRE CHURCH DEPARTMENT. IT’S ON THE SCREEN. EMAIL AND PHONE NUMBER. AND IF YOU MISSED ANY PART OF IT, YOU CAN GO TO ANY OF OUR D

NH Business: Insurance Fraud in New Hampshire

Host Fred Kocher is joined by Brendhan Harris to explain why Granite State is experiencing an increase in insurance fraud cases

Updated: 8:18 a.m. EST Jan 29, 2023

Fred Kocher, NH Business Host

Last year, the New Hampshire Department of Insurance recovered $4.1 million in insurance funds, which is a record for the state. Despite efforts, state officials say insurance fraud is becoming more common in New Hampshire. In the latest episode of NH Business, host Fred Kocher is joined by Brendhan Harris, Director of Fraud at the New Hampshire Department of Insurance, to discuss what is fueling the rise in cases, the different forms of fraud in insurance and what Granite Stater can do to avoid any problems.

MANCHESTER, NH—

Last year, the New Hampshire Department of Insurance recovered $4.1 million in insurance funds, which is a record for the state. Despite efforts, state officials say insurance fraud is becoming more common in New Hampshire.

On the latest episode of NH Business, host Fred Kocher is joined by Brendhan Harris, director of fraud at the New Hampshire Department of Insurance, to discuss what’s fueling the rise in cases, the different forms of fraud in the insurance and what Granite Stater can do to avoid any problems.