North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Says Fraud Referrals Are Up

The North Dakota Insurance Department says fraud referrals have been doubling since 2008.

The Jamestown Sun reports that the 94 referrals in 2010 totaled more than $1 million in suspicious claims.

North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm says times are tight, and residents might see more criminal activity.

Hamm says the three biggest areas in which he sees fraud are automobile, homeowners and health insurance.

Questionable car claims include exaggerated damages, staged accidents and claiming a one-car accident as hit and run.

Home insurance fraud examples include overstating the value of stolen items, staging a burglary and intentionally causing damage and reporting the loss.

One health insurance example is up-coding, when a doctor bills the insurance company for a more costly procedure than what was performed.

Information from: The Jamestown Sun

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