Anxious consumers and businesses are increasingly turning toinsurance fraud to escape financial turmoil, giving little thoughtto the very real consequences of perpetuating this serious crime.Just as their schemes have gained in complexity and vigor, so toohas the investigative acumen of law enforcement, insurancecarriers, and industry organizations.

In fighting this growing epidemic, our collective storytellingserves a valuable purpose—that is, to educate peers about emergingtrends and the methodologies used to identify and deter them.Sharing these real-life crime dramas, from staged accidents toarson and workers' comp fraud, also underscores the toll exacted oninsurers and society as a whole.

Here, we look back at some of the most sensationalscammers of the first half of 2012.

10. Fraudster Trades Prada for Prison Blues

Living a lavish lifestyle, complete with beautiful jewels andluxury-brand handbags, shoes, and cars, one woman had big plans toappear on the TV show, “Real Housewives of Orange County.”

Instead, the wannabe star has appeared many times in an OrangeCounty court room after committing a state record of more than $30million in workers' compensation insurance fraud.

9. Fake Claim, Fake Death, Real Arrest

One man stole more than $11 million from Zurich North America topurchase planes, a yacht, and, yes, a DeLorean, before faking hisdeath and fleeing to Canada.

8. Romantic Trio Busted for Arson

A man, his wife, and her boyfriend have plead guilty to arsoncharges. The two men, volunteer firefighters, face up to five yearsin prison, while the woman could serve six months.

7. Hibs Soccer Star Fibs on Ferrari Claim

Rumored cocaine abuse, a crashed Ferrari, and now insurancefraud allegations. Garry O'Connor, a professional striker for theScottish Hibernian Football Club (also called “Hibs”), isfacing insurance fraud charges in connection with a suspiciousclaim on his prized Ferrari.

(AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

6. 16 Hauled to Jail: NYPD Dismantles Staged AccidentRing

New York authorities dismantled a fraud ring involving U-Haultrucks, a slew of feigned injuries, and $400,000 in unwarrantedinsurance claims payouts.

Following a year-long investigation by the NYPD and attorneygeneral, police arrested 16 people in connection with numerousstaged accidents designed to take advantage of the state'scontroversial no-fault personal injury protection (PIP) system.

5. Featured Fraud: Seeds of Deception

The owners of a Homestead, Fla. nursery have sown the seeds oflengthy prison sentences after executing an audacious con thatsiphoned a cool million from a federal disaster-relief program thatwas established to provide financial assistance to nurseryproducers that suffered inventory losses and cleanup costs in thewake of hurricanes Katrina, Ophelia, Rita and Wilma.

4. Man Forfeits Own Hand for Insurance Payout

An insurance scheme gone awry has left two South Carolinianswith blood on their hands after allegedly conducting anamputation on a third party with a rudimentary yard tool.

According to the federal indictment, two men severedan acquaintance's hand with a pole saw in an attempt tocollect benefits on three accidental death and dismembermentpolicies, as well as the homeowners' insurance policy at the homewhere the incident occurred.

3. MMA Fighter Turned Workers' Comp Fraudster

As a mixed martial arts fighter, Raphael Davis is a force to bereckoned with: In the “light heavyweight” fight class, his recordis 12 victories, with just 2 losses. As a con artist, however, theCalif. man is a failure. Davis has been charged with four felonycounts of insurance fraud in connection with allegedly filing falseworkers' compensation claims.

2. Millionaire-Turned-Arsonist Commits CourtroomSuicide

A convoluted home arson case ended in tragedy when a former WallStreet trader chose to end his life rather than face socialostracism and between 7 and 21 years in prison.

Upon hearing a guilty verdict, the man swallowed a pill andstarted convulsing on the courtroom floor shortly thereafter.

(AP Photo/Phoenix Fire Department)

1. Feds Indict 36 in PIP Fraud Scheme

Federal authorities unsealed a substantial indictmentimplicating 36 suspects for a scheme dating back to at least 2007.The same day, authorities apprehended 35 defendants—including tendoctors and three lawyers—allegedly involved in creating clinics inand around New York City that habitually billed auto insurers fortreatments that were either medically unnecessary or neverrendered.