North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced that Gretchen Eleanora Stephens, 52, of 735 Williams Ave., Asheboro, was charged with insurance fraud, a felony.
Special agents with the N.C. Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division claim that Stephens reported her vehicle stolen. The investigation into this matter showed that the vehicle was not stolen but was involved in an automobile accident while another individual was driving with the permission of Stephens.
Stephens was served with a criminal summons on Aug. 31 with a Sept. 19 court date in Randolph County District Court.
“Property and casualty insurance fraud costs insurance customers an estimated $120 billion a year in increased premiums,” said Commissioner Causey. “The Department of Insurance has beefed up its fraud-fighting staff in an effort to make more arrests to keep fraud from driving up insurance costs.”
If you suspect insurance fraud or other white-collar crimes, please report it. You may anonymously report fraud by calling the N.C. Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840.
Information is also available at www.ncdoi.gov.