The company "ROSGOSSTRAKH ARMENIA" recalls - insurance fraud is a  criminal offense

ArmInfo.The security service of the insurance company "ROSGOSSTRAKH ARMENIA" is taking active steps to curb and uncover insurance frauds. As the press service of ROSGOSSTRAKH ARMENIA insurance company told ArmInfo, the company has introduced a system to detect signs of fraud, thanks to which a  significant number of attempts are suppressed at the stage of claims  settlement. Employees of the company are subjected to a thorough  analysis of all cases in which there are signs of fraud.

According to a representative of the security service of ROSGOSSTRAKH  ARMENIA IC, the majority of fraud attempts are made by "respectable",  unrelated to crime, citizens who do not plan a crime in advance, but  commit spontaneously, without realizing that misleading the insurer  is a criminal offense. Only according to the 6 episodes described  below, we managed to uncover frauds in the amount of 7.804 million  drams. According to international statistics, the share of fraud in  refunds is about 15%, of which only 10% are committed by  "professionals."

In 2018, in the courts of Armenia several convictions were issued in  criminal cases for fraud in the field of auto insurance, including on  a large scale. In most cases, criminal cases are initiated on the  basis of evidence collected by insurance companies on their own or in  cooperation with law enforcement agencies.

Thus, on the basis of the data transmitted by the security service of  the ROSGOSSTRAKH ARMENIA insurance company, a criminal case was  initiated against the Armenian citizen B. T., who became the cause of  the accident when driving while intoxicated, as well as his son and  friend, who arrived the accident and trying to help him to hide the  fact of drunk driving - each of them introduced himself as a driver  and took the blame for the accident. During the investigation, law  enforcement agencies proved the fact of fraud by a group of persons  by prior agreement on a large scale. Damage caused was 1.8 million  drams. In this criminal case, all three participants of a criminal  group were convicted by the court and fines of 500 thousand and 600  thousand drams were imposed.

In another case, the citizen O. S. became the cause of the accident,  as a result of which his car was damaged in the amount of 1.8 million  drams. For the purpose of obtaining compensation, a few days later he  staged a similar accident and tried to present the circumstances in  such a way that he was recognized as a victim.  According to a  statement from the company "ROSGOSSTRAKH ARMENIA", law enforcement  agencies opened a criminal case and the fact of fraud was proved. The  court found O. S. guilty of fraud on a large scale and sentenced him  to 2.5 years in prison. The punishment was not applied and a  probationary period of 2 years was appointed.  A similar case was  recently identified through law enforcement. Managed by citizen M.  car crashed into a pole. Damage caused was 1.714 million drams.  Since, according to the rules of road accidents, the case was not an  insurance case, the driver, in collusion with his acquaintances,  staged an accident involving another car. By the court's decision,  five citizens of Armenia incurred criminal punishment for fraud on a  large scale committed by a group of persons in a preliminary  conspiracy, incl. the driver is the cause of the accident, the driver  of another car, who agreed to take part in the performance, the  driver of the tow truck, as well as an employee of one of the  insurance companies in Armenia.

Another common type of fraud is the purchase of an OSAGO contract  after the insured event. In one of such cases, this year a court  decision was issued against AA, who, after the occurrence of an  accident, bought a road accident insurance policy, and only after  some time called the call center of ROSGOSSTRAKH ARMENIA insurance  company and declared an insured event. Damage caused was 580 thousand  drams. The fact revealed by the employees of the company served as  the basis for initiating a criminal case. According to the court  decision that came into force, citizen A.A. convicted of fraud and  incurred a criminal sentence.

At the end of 2017 from Vanadzor, the call center received a message  about the accident, presented conflicting information. Thanks to the  actions taken by the company's employees, it was possible to prove  that the said accident, as a result of which material damage in the  amount of 1.5 million drams was caused, was staged. Reimbursement for  this case has not been paid.

In another case, which occurred on April 10, 2018 in the Zeytun  district of Yerevan, the company's employees found that the road  accident insurance policy was acquired after an accident. In  addition, other signs of fraud were identified and the case was  transferred to law enforcement agencies. During the investigative  measures, the fact of submitting to the insurance company false  information was established.  Based on the indicated data, the sum of  410 thousand drams was not paid.

According to the ranking of insurance companies in Armenia as of July  1, 2018, prepared by ArmInfo IC, Rosgosstrakh IC keeps the leadership  in insurance premiums and indemnities, dominating almost all types of  insurance. Rosgosstrakh Armenia is licensed in 15 insurance classes  (including the only one in the credit risk insurance class). The  company's premiums in the first half of 2018 exceeded 6.3 billion  drams or $ 13.1 million (with an annual growth of 29.2%), and the  amount of indemnities reached 3 billion drams or $ 6.2 million (with  an annual growth of 20.2%). As of July 1, 2018, Rosgosstrakh  Armenia's assets reached 14.5 billion drams or $ 30.1 million, its  own capital - 7.2 billion drams or $ 14.9 million, accumulated profit  - 2.7 billion drams or $ 5.5 million. Cimarex Management is now a  100% stake in Rosgosstrakh Insurance Company. Limited, and the  indirect sole proprietor is Demetra Stavrina. In the Armenian market,  IC "Rosgosstrakh Armenia" has been operating since May 2008.