A McCdowell County resident faces felony charges of insurance fraud, following an investigation by the North Carolina Department of Insurance. Angela English Woody, aged 52, from Nebo, was arrested after allegedly using her deceased mother's identity to take out an auto insurance policy and subsequently filing a fraudulent claim.
As reported by the North Carolina Department of Insurance, Woody is accused of obtaining an automobile insurance policy from Progressive Premier Insurance Co. in her late mother's name. The mother had passed on April 2, 2024, yet the policy was initiated on May 26, 2024. Woody then filed a claim three days later, misrepresenting her mother's health situation.
"Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime," Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey stated in a release by the NC Department of Insurance. "It hits all of us in the pocket through higher premiums." A $10,000 unsecured bond was given to Woody upon her arrest on May 16, and she is slated to appear in McDowell County District Court on June 11.
The Department urges the public to combat such fraudulent acts that affect everyone financially. North Carolinians with information related to insurance fraud or other white-collar crimes can report them anonymously. The Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division offers a hotline at 888-680-7684 and more details can be found on their website.
