An honest fraudster, a dedicated paper carrier, and a persistent thief were among the fraudsters who attempted to rip off Manitoba Public Insurance and its ratepayers this year, with less than stellar results. Their misguided efforts earned them a spot on the public auto insurer's 2008 list of Top Five Frauds, a dubious honor bestowed annually to heighten awareness that committing fraud is not a smart decision.

This year thousands of suspicious claims were meticulously reviewed by the company's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) to save honest motorists money. By uncovering these and other fraud attempts, the unit has recovered undeserved benefits and denied fraudulent claims totaling nearly $40 million over the last three years.

One Winnipeg resident found out the hard way that honesty -- albeit criminal in intent -- doesn't always pay. The man had opened an auto theft claim with Manitoba Public Insurance. He had filed a similar theft claim three years earlier, so an investigator interviewed him for further details. When asked how to explain the similarities of both thefts, the man blurted out that the first claim was, in fact, bogus. The vehicle's engine was blown and he had arranged for it to be stolen, and then burned. Although he insisted that this new claim was legit, the investigator was unconvinced. The man later pled guilty to fraud and received a $1,000 fine.