ICBC’s Hall of Shame Uncovers Top Fraudulent Cases Of 2015

Ever been in a car accident? It’s only natural to milk your injuries for that extra back rub from hubby or to get out of taking the kids to soccer early Sunday morning. Yet, what happens when people take it to the next level and try to pull one over on ICBC?

Insurance fraud – and in the below cases, while the people may not have been thrilled to be caught, we’re laughing at the reasons why.

And so, ICBC has released an interesting list of fraud incidents dubbed “Hall of Shame: The Top 6 Fraud Files of 2015. You have to read them to believe them…

The “Chore-less Man” – This guy takes the cake when it comes to getting out of household duties. He claims the injuries he suffered from his car accident were so bad, he was unable to wash the dishes. ICBC found the same man lifting heavy boxes of floor tiles at his work, where he was convicted and charged $1,500.
The “Oliver Twist” – You know the saying, “Please sir, I want some more!” One lady wanted more…money that is, by collecting not one, but two pay cheques: one from her job (which she told ICBC she wasn’t working at after her accident), and the other from ICBC that she collected in lieu of no work. Too bad ICBC caught her while she was indeed working and fined her $1,750, plus a one-year driving suspension for exaggerating her injuries.
The “Perfect Role Model” – And when we say perfect, we mean awful. A Vancouver Island mother reports her car stolen, then claims that both of her sons were at home when the incident occurred. After finding the car in the Lower Mainland, police dug up video surveillance from BC Ferries and a witness testimony that pinned one of the sons to the scene of the crash. The mother and son were both fined ($2,300 and $1,150), convicted of telling false statements, and the son was sentenced to an additional 90 days in prison (since he did not have a licence at the time of the accident).
The “No-Pro Camera” – A man claims his car had been sideswiped in an accident and has dash cam footage to prove it. Too bad the man didn’t check the footage first, since it shows him sitting in the passenger seat while another man – without a licence – is driving his vehicle. Instant fail.
The “Ghost Key” – A man reports his BMW was stolen from his driveway around 2 a.m., which the car is then recovered at a nearby park completely burnt to a crisp. The man stated his keys were not stolen, yet this exact lie lead police to believe he had in fact damaged his own vehicle. What the man did not know is that BMW technology records every time a key fob is used, which clearly showed the fob had been used just after 12 a.m. (when he was apparently sleeping). Claim denied.
The “Opportunist” – A man claims he suffered injuries while riding on a bus that collided with a parked fire truck. Yet there he was on the bus terminal security camera, bouncing onto the scene AFTER the crash had already happened. Not only was he fined, but he spent a night in jail, too.

These are just the top six stories out of around 7,500 fraud cases in BC from 2015. The craziest part? Around 10 to 20 percent of all vehicle accidents involve some sort of element of fraud or exaggeration. So if you’re trying to fool ICBC with a so-called injury, at least be a bit smarter than these folks.

Written by Crystal Scuor