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Anne Marie Fangonilo of Redwood City, California, was employed as a claims adjuster for the California State Automobile Association. Her job included reviewing claims files and issuing payments. And even though CSAA’s rules prohibited employees from accessing their own claims information, Fangonilo allegedly figured out a way to do just that … and to issue herself a little bit of extra spending money.
First came the May 28, 1998, report of an automobile accident. Then came an estimate for physical damage and some medical bills for Fangonilo and her boyfriend. Using her co-workers’ computers and passwords to access her own claim, Fangonilo issued at least 11 checks to herself and her boyfriend. Investigators say that there never was any medical treatment and that Fangonilo forged her coworkers’ signatures on the checks she issued on her own claim. In addition, DOI fraud investigators believe she adjusted CSAA’s estimated costs on her claim on at least five occasions in order to increase the amount of money that she could issue to herself.
The now former claims representative has been charged with 11 felony counts of forgery and two felony counts of preparing fraudulent claims. If convicted, she could face up to five years in state prison for each count and could also be ordered to pay an undetermined amount in fees and restitution.
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