4 Month Insurance Fraud Investigation Leads to One Man Charged

Cold Lake RCMP have put a stop to an attempted insurance fraud. On February 16th, 2016, the detachment received a 911 call regarding a truck being stolen. The owner of the truck claimed the vehicle was stolen from outside the Legion in Cold Lake North. The next day the truck was discovered abandoned in a field west of the city.

The RCMP was alerted by the owner’s insurance company that the claim was suspicious, says Sergaent Troy Hadland of the Cold Lake RCMP Detachment. “We’ve been working on the file [since the claim] with the insurance company and through that investigation learned that the owner, who called in this complaint, had lied about it.” Sgt. Hadland explains the vehicle had been involved in a hit and run the same night it was claimed to be stolen. Sgt. Hadland explains what the police believe occurred, “he had got into a collision with a park vehicle. He then ditched his vehicle and said it was stolen so he’d be able to collect the insurance money.”

Police cannot determine with any degree of certainty that alcohol was involved; though with experience there is a good suspicion it was a factor. Without catching the suspect in the act it is near impossible to accuse the suspect of being intoxicated at the time of the incident.

A 39 year old male, from Cold Lake, whose identity has not been disclosed at this time, has been charged with public mischief. Sgt. Hadland explains “our definition of public mischief is reporting to the police something you know to be false and having the police act on it,” essentially making a false report. The man was also charged with a hit and run for hitting the parked vehicle.

“Insurance company investigators are very good at picking up on [fraud],” Hadland says the Cold Lake Detachment hasn’t seen another case of this nature in his recent memory; however suspects the insurance companies have seen quite a few. “If they pick up on something we work with them. I wouldn’t say it’s common, but it does happen.” The man will not be able to collect insurance money for the accident, and will have to pay out of pocket for the damage done to the other vehicle. “Crime doesn’t pay.”

The man will appear in Cold Lake Provincial Court on September 28th.