Tipped off: SGI details some of 2017's most 'memorable' foiled insurance fraudsters

Whether it was a stolenexpensive diamond ring that never actually existed or a vehiclethat called out its owner's tale ofasupposed hit and run, Saskatchewan Government Insurance saved $7 million last year by uncoveringinstances of insurance fraud.

Tyler McMurchy, a spokesperson for SGI, saidthe agency has a special investigation unit that's focused on finding the truth and sometimesthe truth comes from tipsters willing to share security camera footage to put false claims to bed.

"Most people are honest, and they don't want to see other people cheating on their insurance. Because, again, the message is insurance fraud costs everyone," he said.

SGI has a released a list of five of its most "memorable" cases of attempted fraud from 2017.

The tell-tale American receipt

One case, according to SGI, involved a property policy theft claim for expensive clothing, computer equipment and jewelry. The claim included a receipt for a diamond ring purchase from a real jewelry store.

"There was something a little off about the receipt that they submitted," McMurchysaid, explaining the tip-off was the fact that in the place of the postal code, the receipt simply read "ZIP CODE."

It all started to click: the site was American and wouldn't accept a six-character Canadian postal code in the five-digit zip code field.

The jewelry store confirmed the receipt was a fraud and the case was closed with a total savings of close to $25,000.

Exposed by a computer!

In another incident, SGIsays a driver claimed her parked car had been hit by someone who took off.

But her vehicle's onboard computer told a different tale,said McMurchy.Theevent data recorder, a feature which McMurchy said is common in most cars today, showed the vehicle was not only moving at the time of the collision, but the collision also happened on a completely different day than the owner had reported.

The woman withdrew the claim, saving the agency, and its customers, $8,000.

Hot tips leadto charges

In two separate cases, owners claimed their vehicles had been burned and vandalized, and that they didn't know who was behind the crime.

In the first case, a neighbour shared security camera footage that showed someone tinkering under the vehicle's hood moments before it went up in flames. The crime was ultimately connected to the owner, according to SGI.

In the second case of a vehicle found burned on the side of theroad, SGIreceived an anonymous tip that the owner had set the truck on fire intentionally. In both cases, the vehicle owners were charged with Criminal Code offences.

Looking for the truth

People found to have committed insurance fraud areflagged inSGI's systems as a future risk. This can make it difficult for themto receive coverage from other insurers. The agency also notes that billsto fix supposedlystolen and damagedproperty becomesthe attempted fraudster's responsibility.

McMurchy said that special investigators look at between 1,200 and 1,500 suspicious cases in a year, whether that involves fraud, or simply a level of exaggeration or deception. In other cases, special investigators don't uncover fraud, and McMurchynotedthat's not necessarily an unhappy result.

"They just want to discover the truth."