Where Should You Report Insurance Fraud in New Jersey?
Posted June 20th, 2021 by Anthony Carbone.
Categories: Personal Injury.
Insurance fraud is a grave crime in New Jersey that occurs in many ways. It generally includes knowingly omitting a material fact or making misleading or false statements in an insurance company document. Depending on the amounts involved, insurance fraud can be charged as a second or third-degree felony.
The consequences of insurance fraud are far-reaching and often lead to higher premiums across the board. Below, we tell you where to report insurance fraud if you suspect it.
Types of Insurance Fraud
Suppose during the filing of a claim, and someone provides information in the application or other false or misleading documents to get insurance money or renew a policy. In that case, they may be found guilty of insurance fraud. The most common forms of insurance fraud include:
- Car accident insurance claims
- Medicaid benefits claims
- Healthcare insurance claims
- Workers’ compensation
- Disability benefits
- Unemployment insurance claims
Such cases are prosecuted under state penal laws in New Jersey. Still, they can also be handled by deferral law enforcement if they involve federal offenses such as criminal racketeering and mail fraud.
Reporting Suspected Fraud: An Incentive
The state of New Jersey is conversant with the repercussions that insurance fraud can have on innocent consumers and organizations. As such, it allows individuals, groups, or companies to report suspected cases if they have reasonable knowledge or suspicions of an occurrence. Such parties may then be eligible for an incentive through the Fraud Detection Reward Program.
The Insurance Fraud Prosecutor preserves a $25,000 incentive amount that can be used as a reward for someone who reports a case of fraud, which leads to a conviction. This program is run at the discretion of the Attorney General.
Reporting Insurance Fraud
Cases of insurance fraud can be filed with the Office of the Attorney General, Local Municipal or Better Business Bureau and the information processed by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor. To reach this office, you can:
- Fill an online form on the state website.
- Call the toll-free tip line 1-877-55-FRAUD (1-877-553-7283) between 8:30 AM to 5:00 AM PM on business days or leave a voicemail message (after business hours). Any recorded messages will be responded to through a phone call within 24 hours.
- Send an email through NJInsuranceFraud@njdcj.org
- Send a letter or a filled PDF form from the website through US Mail to the following address:
NJ Office of the Attorney General
Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
- O. Box 094
Trenton, NJ 08625-0094
Talk to a Bayonne Personal Injury Attorney
In 2018, New Jersey established a separate office to prosecute cases of insurance fraud specifically, a task previously held by the Attorney General’s Office. It is called the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor and is where to report insurance fraud in the state.
Personal injury law in New Jersey can be very complex. If you have any questions concerning insurance fraud or would like to discuss the same with a Bayonne Personal Injury Attorney, contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone at 201-829-3805.
