A Raleigh woman is facing serious charges for insurance fraud after she was accused of using falsified documents to pump up an insurance claim. The North Carolina Department of Insurance announced the arrest of Toni Lee Smith, 45, on two counts of insurance fraud, among other charges.
Smith, residing at 5051 Sandy Banks Road, was charged with one count each of attempting to obtain property by false pretense, and obtaining property by false pretense, both felonies. The deception came to light after she filed a homeowners insurance claim with Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company. In the claim, Smith allegedly inflated the amount that would be received, reaching a total of $7,220.09, a deception claimed to have occurred on September 2, 2023.
The NC Department of Insurance's Criminal Investigations Division agents backed the allegations with a warrant. Following these events, Smith turned herself in on May 27 and was released on a secured $10,000 bond. She appeared in Wake County District Court the following day. In highlighting the detrimental impact of such crimes, Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey said, "Insurance fraud hits consumers in the wallet." According to Causey, "Approximately 20 cents of every insurance premium dollar goes to covering the cost of fraud." He further added his commitment, "I’m fighting this by aggressively pursuing and prosecuting insurance fraud in North Carolina."
The case against Smith serves as a stark reminder of the financial consequences insurance fraud levies on consumers. Every dollar lost in premiums, translates into higher costs for honest policyholders.
