False insurance claims leads to jail term, orders of restitution to Aviva Canada

Aviva Canada, one of the country’s leading providers of home, auto, leisure and business insurance, today commends the of Durham Regional Police, Toronto Police Service and the Ontario Crown Attorney’s Office for bringing those committing insurance fraud to justice. 

On November 13, 2014, Superior Court Justice Christopher Corkery convicted former Aviva Canada policyholder Robert Hicks of Public Mischief (false reporting of a crime to police) and Fraud Over $5,000.00 (false insurance claim to Aviva Canada). Mr. Hicks was sentenced to four months in custody, followed by 18 months probation with the statutory condition to keep the peace. He has been ordered to pay restitution to Aviva Canada in the amount of $9,232.00.

In December 2011, Mr. Hicks received a claims settlement from Aviva Canada in the amount of $9,500.00 for the theft of his 1997 Chevrolet pick-up truck. A year and a half later, Aviva Canada’s Fraud Information Centre received an anonymous tip that Mr. Hicks’ vehicle had not been stolen, and was in a storage unit in Newcastle, Ontario. Durham Regional Police were immediately contacted and, upon locating the reported stolen vehicle, apprehended and charged Mr. Hicks that same day.

“The more we see fraudsters appropriately punished, the more we will see a decline in this type of activity which costs all insurance customers,” said Gordon Rasbach, Vice President of Anti-Fraud Management for Aviva Canada. “Jail terms, restitution payments and other hefty penalties are critical to deterring future staged thefts and accidents.”

In an unrelated matter, on November 14, 2014, Aviva Canada was awarded $12,990.00 in restitution in connection with a staged automobile accident allegedly perpetrated by Rakio Shire and three others in January 2012. Ms. Shire pleaded guilty to the charges of Uttering Forged Documents and Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence. Justice Edward Kelly provided Ms. Shire with a conditional discharge, placing her on probation for three years. She has been ordered to pay restitution to Aviva Canada in the amount of $12,900.00. 

“We commend the efforts of Durham Regional Police and Toronto Police Service in laying charges in these matters and those of the Crown Attorney’s office in prosecuting the cases,” continued Rasbach.

“Their continued support is vital to our efforts to protect the policy premiums of our customers in Ontario.”

Building on already strong capabilities, Aviva Canada has stepped up its tough approach to tackling fraud with more dedicated resources and an investment in technology that aims to identify fraud and even anticipate the potential for fraud before it happens. With an industry-leading anti-fraud team in place, plus solid public sector and industry collaboration, Aviva Canada is well positioned to combat fraud better than ever before. The impact of Insurance fraud in Canada is estimated at over $1.6 billion dollars annually. 

Help protect affordable insurance premiums for all Canadians by reporting potential fraud to Aviva Canada’s Fraud Information Centre — open 24/7. Email anti-fraud_management@avivacanada.com or call 1-855-332-5255.

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About Aviva Canada

Aviva Canada is one of the leading Property and Casualty insurance groups in Canada providing home, automobile, recreational vehicle, group and business insurance to more than three million customers. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-based Aviva plc and has more than 3,000 employees, 25 locations and 1,700 independent broker partners. Aviva Canada and its employees invest in positive change including through the Aviva Community Fund and Eva’s Initiatives, its partner in Aviva’s global Street to School program to help homeless and other at-risk youth reach their potential. 

For more information visit AvivaCanada.com, our blog or our Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages.