Fraud of the Week
Staged accident – New York
Amount – $150,000
In December 2019 a handyman, along with two others, staged a collision so they could collect $150,000 for supposed medical treatments related to injuries from the staged accident. The accident occurred when the handyman was riding in a vehicle that slammed into a woman pulling out of her driveway. The woman claimed the vehicle veered into her driveway deliberately to hit her, as the vehicle avoided the cars parked on both sides of the driveway.
The three filed a claim with Nationwide Insurance for injuries related to the accident. Upon concluding that the accident was staged, Nationwide filed suit against the three supposed victims. Nationwide also sued 23 medical practices the three supposedly visited for treatments, including acupuncturists and physical therapists.
While this litigation is pending, the handyman was charged with the killing of three senior citizens over time from 2015. The three victims were older women who had relied on the handyman for help around their homes. One was killed in 2015, one was killed four years later, and one was killed January 15, 2021.