By Jeff Sanford
Toronto, Ontario — September 14, 2015 — Insurance company Aviva recently helped police lay fraud charges in two cases involving the auto body and auto insurance industries.
According to a press release from Aviva, Peter Panagopoulos, the owner of Bill’s Midway Auto Body, is one of those charged. He is alleged to have filed a claim with Aviva Canada for parts allegedly stolen from a vehicle insured under his business, an auto collision repair facility in Toronto’s east end.
Aviva Canada investigated the claim and noticed “inconsistencies” in the invoices submitted by Panagopoulos. The insurer questioned the claims, alleging that the auto parts were never stolen. It was the opinion of Aviva that Panagopoulos reported a fraudulent claim in the hope he would be paid a cash settlement. Panagopoulos was charged with fraud over $5,000, uttering forged documents and public mischief.
Another case involves information received by Aviva alleging that Chad Wayne Sweet was unlicensed and unauthorized to sell insurance. Nevertheless he allegedly lured and counselled policyholders to commit fraud by using false information to obtain cheaper auto insurance premiums. Sweet allegedly received compensation from the policyholders by charging a fee to set up the policies with various companies, including Aviva Canada. In a press release Aviva Canada said that it investigated the case for almost a year.
It is alleged that Sweet impersonated a policyholder when setting up the policies. The total cost of the premium difference for the policies affected is $5,697. The Toronto Police Service continues to investigate other potential leads. Sweet has been charged with six counts of fraud under $5,000 and five counts of possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime. He is scheduled to appear in court on October 6.
“The implications of setting up policies with incorrect information are that the insured persons – whether they are willing co-conspirators or innocent victims – are not covered under a legitimate policy and may be personally liable for damage and injuries arising from their claims,” said Irene Bianchi, Executive Vice president, National Claims for Aviva Canada, in the release. “This can leave them out of pocket thousands of dollars.”
The press release went on to claim that the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) continues to be “the epicentre of insurance fraud.” Cases such as these contribute to higher insurance premiums for Ontarians, Aviva Canada said. According to the press release insurance fraud is estimated to cost several billion dollars a year in insurance premium, healthcare, emergency service and court costs.
