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TALLAHASSEE –A Broward County woman who attempted to collect twice on her hurricane claim has been arrested.
Indrani B. Horton, 34, of Margate, was charged with fraudulently filing an insurance claim. The arrest followed an investigation by detectives with the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud.
Horton is charged with a third degree felony for collecting $7,000 in additional living expense (ALE) money and then using the same receipts from that claim to bill $6,000 to a second insurance company for an ALE claim on another property. Additional living expenses are paid to policyholders who have to move out of their damaged homes to pay for food, lodging and essential items.
If convicted, Horton faces a potential sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
To help combat fraud, Tom Gallagherm director of the Department of Financial Services, is promulgating tougher fraud reporting rules, including requiring insurance companies to:
--refer fraudulent claims directly and electronically to DIF,
--detail the process they have in place for identifying and referring suspicious claims,
--establish minimum standards for training employees in anti-fraud efforts,
--update their insurance fraud plans every three years, and
--give DIF authority to order insurers to revise unacceptable fraud plans.
The Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud, investigates fraud in all types of insurance, including health, life, auto, property and workers’ compensation. To report information about this case or any other possible insurance fraud case, call the department’s Fraud Fighters hotline at 1-800-378-0445. A reward of up to $25,000 may be offered for information leading to a conviction. 2-21-06
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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