Auto Insurance Fraud


The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Auto Insurance Fraud Unit investigates and prosecutes auto insurance fraud and economic car theft cases.

Assigned to this unit is a prosecutor who vertically prosecutes all of these types of cases from filing through sentencing. The unit also includes an investigator who conducts follow-up investigations on filed criminal cases and initiates investigations on suspected fraud referrals from insurance companies and the public. Many of these investigations involve collaboration with federal, state and local agencies to include the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Bureau of Automotive Repair, California Department of Insurance, auto insurance companies, and the Monterey County Multi-Agency Detail for Combatting Auto Theft Team (MADCAT). 

Types of auto insurance fraud includes, but is not limited to: 

Applicant Fraud – Any person who knowingly makes a false statement or claim, deliberately lies about material facts, or knowingly withholds information to obtain benefits.

Fraud Ring Involves traffic collisions orchestrated for the purposes of fraud by attorneys, doctors, other medical professionals, office administrators and cappers.

Staged Accidents – Automobile accidents purposely orchestrated to involve one or an unknown insured motorist to file claims against that person’s insurance company. Staged accidents can be committed by multiple suspects or fraud rings.

Medical Provider Fraud – Medical provider inflates billing, knowingly submits bills with improper medical codes and lies about facts.

Insider Fraud – Fraud by employees of an insurance company.

Legal Office Fraud Legal provider inflates billing or lies about facts.

The Auto Insurance Fraud unit provides outreach and training to local law enforcement agencies and the public. If your agency or group is interested in receiving a presentation or training, please contact (831) 755-5070.

If you would like to report suspected auto insurance fraud, an auto body repair shop that you suspect is a committing insurance fraud or a chop shop located in Monterey County, please call the District Attorney’s Office Fraud Hotline at (831) 755-3224 or email: MCDAInsurancefraud@co.monterey.ca.us

If you need to report a vehicle stolen, please contact the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the location where it was stolen.