Legal Question in Insurance Law in California

Reporting insurance fraud

How do I report insurance fraud when I don't know what insurance company the claim was filed with? Is there a statute of limitations? I have specific knowledge of a false claim of a stolen vehicle in order to collect the insurance. The claim was paid and the vehicle was later found (where the owners staged it to be found). During the waiting period, the vehicle was parked in my garage at the request of my daughter, although I was not aware of the fact it had been reported stolen. This occurred about two years ago. Can I be implicated in the fraud?


Asked on 3/17/04, 12:10 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys

Edward Hoffman Law Offices of Edward A. Hoffman

Re: Reporting insurance fraud

If you didn't know what was going on then you are not guilty of anything related to this fraud. The police might believe otherwise and could charge you, but I can't say how likely such an outcome is.

Your daughter sounds more likely to be implicated in this, and also sounds less likely to have been ignorant of what was going on. Reporting the fraud could land her in serious trouble -- both criminally and civilly.

If you still want to make a report, your best bet is to report this to your local prosecutor's office. They will be able to find out which insurer was involved, and will likely prosecute anyone they believe committed the fraud -- very likely including your daughter.

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Answered on 3/17/04, 4:15 pm
Armen Tashjian Law Offices of Armen M. Tashjian

Re: Reporting insurance fraud

The identity of insurance carrier may be ascertained from the DMV.

On a more important note however, you should be concerned about your own potential culpability. Here is a possible scenario, you go and report your daughter to the cops for insurance fraud, when the car was in your garage all along. What is to prevent your daughter to "pay you back" by telling the cops that you were on on it and simply got greedy and wanted more money in order not to report. You may be charged with as a co-conspirator, as an accessory before and after the fact, etc. Think carefully and get a lawyer before you go anywhere with this. You'll be doing yourself a favor.

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Answered on 3/19/04, 1:18 am


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