Alight, action, camera…
For example, if two of your clients are going to torch their old clunkers together, they are best to make sure that the arsonist they hire doesn’t come under the glare of a nearby security camera.
Two vehicle owners received fines of more than $1,000 and their claims ─ totalling more than $16,000 ─ were denied after pleading guilty to public mischief.
A security camera mounted on the side of a building captured the entire crime. A man casually walked up to two vehicles, smashed out the windows and set them on fire.
During the subsequent arson investigation, one of the vehicle owners admitted he wanted to get rid of his vehicle because of repair issues. He also admitted that the other vehicle owner ─ a co-worker and friend ─ wanted his vehicle destroyed. The name of the arsonist was also provided to investigators.
Black Box tells all
Thanks to a vehicle data crash recorder, a Winnipeg man was fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to insurance fraud of more than $5,000.
The man's Chevy Cobalt was in poor mechanical condition. With the hope of having it written off, he arranged for a staged collision with an acquaintance. The fraudster told an MPI insurance adjustor that he was the victim of a hit-and-run collision after a large truck drove through a stop sign and struck his vehicle.
Alas, the crash recorder confirmed that the vehicle was parked at the time of the crash.
MPI denied his $8,200 claim.
Running to cover
A Winnipeg woman was fined $1,100 after pleading guilty to making a false statement to MPI, essentially trying to cover for the driver of the car.
The woman claimed she was alone at the time of the crash. However, the vehicle's data crash recorder confirmed that the passenger seat was occupied at the time of the crash.
In addition to the vehicle's data crash recorder, several witnesses at the crash scene told police the vehicle was driven by a male who was accompanied by a female passenger. Witnesses told police that the male appeared impaired, smelled strongly of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet.
Her $20,000 claim for her badly damaged vehicle was denied.
Fraud log
Who needs video records, when simple employment logs will do?
Upon examination of his shift activity logs, a Winnipeg man was fined $1,000 and ordered to pay restitution of $8,466 to MPI after pleading guilty to insurance fraud over $5,000.
The man began receiving income replacement benefits after being injured in a crash. He insisted he was too injured to return to work. After nearly a year, an investigation confirmed he returned to work, the activity logs showing 131 shifts worked of varying lengths.
His occupation? A professional driver.
