Caught in the act! Seattle man busted for crash scam minutes after insuring his car

Seattle resident Saleem Robinson has been sentenced to 11 days of electronic home monitoring after being convicted of insurance fraud and attempted theft in the first degree.

The conviction follows an investigation by the Washington State Insurance Commissioner’s Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) and prosecution by the King County Prosecutor’s Office.

Robinson, who had filed a false claim on his auto insurance, received credit for one day already served in his sentence handed down on Sept. 17.

The case dates back to May 18, 2021, when Robinson obtained an insurance policy with Progressive for his 2008 Mercedes Benz C350.

Just nine minutes after the policy was initiated, Robinson reported a collision with another vehicle, claiming damages.

Because the claim was submitted so soon after the policy’s start, it was automatically flagged and sent to Progressive’s special investigation unit.

During its investigation, Progressive discovered that Robinson’s collision had occurred several hours before he purchased the policy.

GEICO, the insurer for the other vehicle involved, contacted Progressive to clarify that Robinson was the at-fault driver.

Based on this evidence, Progressive denied Robinson’s $6,710.76 claim and reported the case to the CIU, as required by Washington state law.

The CIU works closely with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to investigate and prosecute cases of insurance fraud, which is estimated to cost families an additional $400 to $700 per year in increased premiums.

Under state law, insurance companies must report suspected fraud to the Insurance Commissioner.

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