Zurich uncovers fraudulent claims ring

ZURICH NORTH AMERICA said it has cracked a three-and-a-half- year “slip-and-fall” fraud ring, which was duping insurers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The insurer tasked its claims and special investigations units with detecting any fraud after noticing reoccurring suspicious claims activity with a large retail operation customer. The scheme involved 33 individuals in Illinois and Wisconsin, who filed at least 60 claims with 16 insurance companies, including Zurich. The group targeted retailers, sometimes as frequently as two or three times a day, by staging slip- and-fall accidents in a store. Each claim was in the $4,000 to $8,000 range. “Shutting down these fraud rings sends a clear signal that we are watching for fraudulent activity, and ultimately benefits our customers in the end by keeping their premiums lower,” Brian Wilson, vice-president Zurich’s Special Investigative Unit, said.