The New York Alliance Against Insurance Fraud (NYAAIF), a group supported by insurance companies in New York to educate consumers about the costs of insurance fraud, recently reviewed online reports from the New York State Insurance Department's Frauds Bureau and uncovered a few examples of scams attempted by less-than-stellar criminal masterminds. Here are a few of the most appalling examples.

Ring on the Finger. An insured engagement ring is supposedly lost, and the insurance company is asked to pay more than $28,000 to replace the expensive piece of jewelry. Yet a modest amount of due diligence found that the ring reported lost by the man was still on the finger of the would-be fraudster's fianc?e, who clearly knew nothing about her intended's ill-fated scam.

Sinking a Claim. There's the tale of the leased 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer that sank "like a rock" (to borrow an old Chevy commercial's tag line), to the bottom of Lake Erie. Alas, it had some help doing so because the vehicle was discovered with the keys in the ignition and a rock on the gas pedal. All of the alleged participants in the vehicle's underwater burial were subsequently arrested, including the woman who was leasing the vehicle.

Broken Window Theory. The suspect, who resides in Schenectady, N.Y., filed a claim for $3,298 to replace the supposedly broken rear window of his 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse. The insurance adjuster examined the purported damage and found that the window was intact, taking a photo to document that fact. The adjuster was asked to return for a "second look" soon thereafter and at that time found a broken car window, which witnesses said was smashed by the suspect himself.

Oh Deer. A suspect fraudulently collected $1,188 for damage to the passenger side of his vehicle, asserting it was caused when his car struck a deer. Weeks later, a Syracuse Police Department tip led to the truth coming out. The suspect was charged not only with insurance fraud but also assault and leaving the scene of an accident when authorities determined the vehicle's damage was caused after he hit a woman who was treated for an ankle injury.

Interested in more fraud news and in-depth articles? Head over to Claims' fraud channel for more information.

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