DEPARTMENT’S FRAUDS BUREAU ISSUES 2005 ANNUAL REPORT
Superintendent of Insurance Howard Mills today announced the release of the New York State Insurance Department’s 2005 Frauds Bureau Annual Report, a document that elaborates on the policies and achievements that led last year to unprecedented auto insurance premium rate reductions statewide.
"The Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER) recognized our Frauds Bureau’s successful efforts to reduce auto insurance premium rates when awarding its 2005 Workforce Champions Award to the Insurance Department," Superintendent Mills stated. "We shared that honor with the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services and both agencies can take credit for implementing Governor Pataki’s fraud-fighting initiatives, which cut the typical New York driver’s auto insurance premium rate anywhere from 3 to 10 percent over the past year."
The report includes the Bureau’s major accomplishments during 2005, such as:
More than 750 insurance fraud-related arrests as a result of stepped-up collaborative law enforcement alliances with federal, state and local officials.
A major investigation into so-called staged accidents in New York City and the Buffalo area that resulted in 42 arrests.
The closing of a major Westchester County medical facility, which allegedly operated for the sole purpose of abusing the state’s no-fault auto insurance system, following a joint three-year investigation that led to 28 arrests.
In addition, the report also offers a month-by-month summary of the Frauds Bureau’s major cases, key statistical data and its 2006 legislative recommendations. Besides the GOER award, the Frauds Bureau received recognition in 2005 from the New York State Police and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The report is available online through the Insurance Department’s Web site, www.ins.state.ny.us, and can be accessed by clicking the ‘Publications’ icon.
