Iowa insurers are asking consumers to help cut back on fraudulent claims. Dawn Sassatelli is a spokesperson for the Iowa Chapter of Property Casualty Underwriters in the state. Sassatelli says fraudulent auto insurance claims are the most common as people will have an accident on purpose to get bodily injury claims paid, or people will make up or exaggerate an injury. She says some people try to pad legitimate insurance claims of damaged or stolen property to meet their deductible, or to just have the insurance company pay extra. She says many people think insurance companies are “a bottomless pit” of money, but she says consumers end up paying. Sassatelli says billions of dollars in fraudulent claims each year force insurance rates to go up. Sassatelli says you can help prevent fraud by taking good notes if you’re involved in an accident. She says take details of the accident, take a picture of the damage is possible, and call the police to have them fill out a report on the damage. Sassatelli says the more information you have on the accident, the tougher it is for someone to exaggerate a claim when it’s filed. She says you can also speak out if you see someone trying to file an inflated claim.Sassatelli says many people think it’s acceptable to pad a claim, and she says you should speak up and tell them it’s not right. Sassatelli says you can report fraud scams to the National Insurance Crime Bureau hotline at 800-835-6422.
