Florida authorities have charged three Miami folks with cellphone insurance coverage fraud after they allegedly submitted 40 fraudulent claims to American Bankers Insurance coverage Co.
The state’s chief monetary officer, Jimmy Patronis, stated that his Division of Monetary Companies’ insurance coverage fraud bureau had discovered that Learne Perez, her husband, Paul Adelardo Pena Lora, and his twin brother, Leonardo Pena Lora, had obtained cellphone insurance coverage by means of American Bankers, often known as Assurant.
The trio repeatedly reported their telephones stolen, misplaced or broken in 2018 and 2019, then allegedly bought their iPhones and Samsung telephones to retail shops in Miami for about $500 every. Assurant paid out greater than $19,000 on the false claims earlier than firm officers grew to become suspicious, Patronis’ workplace stated.
The three have been arrested Tuesday and booked into jail in Miami-Dade County.
As smartphones have elevated in value lately, cellphone insurance coverage has grown quickly. Some market researchers have estimated the worldwide cellphone insurance coverage market at $23 billion in 2020. Insurance coverage insurance policies could be obtained for a couple of {dollars} a month. Allstate, for instance, gives a three-year plan for $10.99.
And like auto insurance coverage fraud, cellphone insurance coverage and protection-plan fraud additionally has grown, and prosecutors have needed to delve into the practices. One of the crucial well-known circumstances was that of Laquitta Brackins of Atlanta. Federal prosecutors stated she recruited cellphone customers throughout town and was linked with greater than 3,600 fraudulent claims that produced some 2,900 new telephones.
Brackins was sentenced to seven years in jail in 2016.
Trade specialists have stated as many as 4 of 10 cellphone claims are fraudulent, based on one report. Consultants advocate that insurers report the Worldwide Cell Gear Id quantity, which is exclusive to each machine and could be tracked and blacklisted.
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