Washington Man Accused of Feline Death Fraud

NU Online News Service, July 06, 2:39 p.m. EDT

A Washington state man is facing insurance fraud charges after allegedly trying to get an insurance company to pay $20,000 for a pet cat that died in a car accident.

Authorities say the car accident was two-and-a-half years before Yevgeniy M. Samsonov of Tacoma filed a claim with the other driver's insurer for the alleged death of his cat.

And there is one other small detail: Samsonov never had a cat.

According to Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, Samsonov allegedly used a photo of a cat he found on Google Images in an attempt to prove the existence of his beloved imaginary feline friend, Tom, to PEMCO Insurance.

“We've handled some pretty unusual fraud cases, but this is one of the stranger ones,” Kreidler says in a statement.

Samsonov, 29, has been charged with first-degree attempted theft and felony insurance fraud and is scheduled to be arraigned July 11.

On March 27, 2009 Samsonov was involved in a minor traffic accident. PEMCO paid Samsonov more than $3,400 for vehicle damage, chiropractic treatment and soft tissue injuries, according to the commissioner. It was about two-and-a-half years later that Samsonov allegedly told PEMCO he wanted payment for his cat, who Samsonov claimed died in the accident.

And he allegedly wasn't happy with the $50 check PEMCO mailed him for the nonexistent pet, Kreidler says.

Samsonov allegedly wanted $20,000 for the cat, who he told PEMCO had been like a son to him, Kreidler says. He enclosed two pictures.

A PEMCO claims rep did a Google Images search and found the exact pictures. The pictures are actually of two different cats and neither belonged to Samsonov.

Kreidler says PEMCO then canceled the $50 check and forwarded the case to the commissioner's anti-fraud unit.