A report says a crackdown on auto insurance fraud in Lawrence prompted by the death 10 years ago of a great-grandmother in a staged accident has saved the city's motorists $68 million in premiums.
LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) — A report says a crackdown on auto insurance fraud in Lawrence prompted by the death 10 years ago of a great-grandmother in a staged accident has saved the city's motorists $68 million in premiums.
The report issued by the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts and the Automobile Insurers Bureau of Massachusetts also says the model used to curb fraud in Lawrence has been used in about a dozen other communities, resulting in premium savings of $875 million.
The Eagle-Tribune (http://bit.ly/13IWtGN ) reports that the crackdown has led to charges against 488 people in Lawrence for insurance fraud and related crimes, and charges against more than 1,900 people statewide.
Sixty-five-year-old Altagracia Arias was killed in a Sept. 4, 2003 crash that police say was staged in an effort to scam insurance companies.
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Information from: Eagle Tribune (North Andover, Mass.), http://www.eagletribune.com