The National InsuranceCrime Bureau (NICB) has some vexing news for Floridians. TheDes Plaines, Ill.-based not-for-profit organization's recentanalysis of questionable claims (QCs) reveals that the number ofsuspicious auto accidents that were either staged or deliberatelycaused is rising.

Just how significant is the increase? According to datasubmitted by NICB member insurance companies, there was a58-percent leap in QCs in Florida in the past year alone (from 2008to 2009). Alarmingly, Tampa reported 487 QCs related to staged/intentially caused accidents in 2009, a 290-percentuptick over the previous year. Miami pointed to 258 accidents (an11-percent increase); Orlando had 240 such accidents, representinga 24-percent increase.

"South Florida used to be the focal point of these deliberatecrashes," said NICB President and CEO Joe Wehrle. "While the Miamiand Hialeah areas continue to show increased activity, thecriminals have expanded their operation[s] northward, and Tampa isnow at the epicenter of this crime trend."

In terms of state-wide statistics, Wehrle said the number ofquestionable claims for all types of insurance fraud increased 15percent from 2008 to 2009. He added that the 58-percent jump in thestaged/caused accident category indicates that criminals are takingadvantage of the state's no-fault auto accident coverage.

"Previous industry studies have shown that among the12 statesthat have no-fault coverage, Florida had the highest rates of fraudand buildup in both bodily injury (BI) and personal injuryprotection (PIP)," explained Wehrle. "The criminals who are stagingand deliberately causing these accidents have been doing so becausethey can file claims for alleged injuries and collect big paymentswith little risk of getting caught.

Even though these figures are troubling, NICB is determined toput an end to this abuse of the system and continues to ramp up itsfraud-fighting efforts. Through successful collaboration with NICBinsurance company and law enforcement partners, the organizationcreated a Major Medical Fraud Task Force in South Florida in 2002to specifically focus on the issue at hand.

"That cooperative effort has resulted in numerous successes, andthe criminals are feeling the heat," said Wehrle. "That's one ofthe reasons they are moving up the state to the Tampa and Orlandoareas."

The NICB we will soon open another Major Medical Fraud TaskForce in Tampa and has already begun a public awareness campaign inthe area.

The report can be found on NICB's web site.