A Mecklenburg County resident was hit with a felony insurance fraud charge earlier this week. The North Carolina Insurance Commissioner, Mike Causey, shared the news of the arrest of Shallee Aleah Smith, a 34-year-old from Charlotte. Smith's legal troubles stem from her dealings with her automobile insurance policy.
Agents from the Department of Insurance's Criminal Investigations Division claim Smith conjured up false statements involving the condition of her vehicle with Dairyland Insurance Company. According to the official statement of North Carolina Department of Insurance, an undisclosed attempted theft and subsequent damage that occurred on September 29 were not mentioned by Smith during her policy's renewal process.
Smith was taken into custody last Tuesday and was soon after released on a $50,000 unsecured bond. Following her arrest, she appeared in the Mecklenburg County District Court last Wednesday. The commissioner's office has made a concerted push to underscore the cost of insurance fraud to the public.
Commissioner Causey was quoted, stating, "Insurance fraud hits consumers in the wallet,” in an earnest effort to draw attention to the economic burden such actions place on policyholders. He continued, "Approximately 20 cents of every insurance premium dollar goes to covering the cost of fraud. I’m fighting this by aggressively pursuing and prosecuting insurance fraud in North Carolina.” These comments underscore a greater initiative to stomp out fraudulent insurance claims throughout the state, as detailed by North Carolina Department of Insurance.
Insurance fraud is an issue that leads to higher premiums for all policyholders and authorities remain vigilant in their efforts to curtail such practices. The North Carolina Department of Insurance encourages anyone with information on insurance fraud or other white-collar crimes to report their suspicions. Reports can be made anonymously by calling the Criminal Investigations Division either statewide at 919-807-6840 or toll-free at 888-680-7684.
