We had a great time brainstorming our stories, and I came away with a good foundation for my story!
Pictured from left to right are Pam Hillman, me, Stephenia McGee, and Janet Ferguson. I love these three ladies’ books! If you haven’t read them, you need to check them out. I think all three are running specials on their books!
Now onto last week’s Mystery Question: Three of the following insurance scams really happened. One didn’t. I made it up. Can you guess which one?
- A man planned to fake his funeral and collect the $500,000 dollars. He involved his wife and a friend, but at the last minute, the wife and friend actually killed her husband and set it up to look like an accident. The insurance company paid off, but an insurance investigator smelled a mouse and dug into the case. The victim had bragged about scamming the insurance company to a drinking buddy and eventually the wife was arrested.
- This rock band wasn’t particularly successful but its members, unlike most starving musicians, weren’t prepared to suffer for their art. Instead for quick money, they decided to stage a car accident and deliberately inflicted vehicle damage in an underground garage, then they told a tale of pain and suffering that started the claim money rolling in. to the tune of more than $150,000. Then, their music career took a sudden upward turn when they scored a great gig. And therein lay the problem. Some of their claims coincided with their music gigs where they were jumping up and down on stage.
- Maybe Joe (not his real name) was jealous of the checks his friend was receiving or maybe he simply saw an opportunity. Either way, his scheme was inspired by his friend’s car accident and the prospect of a claims payout for himself as well. Joe declared that he, too, had been in the car, filed a claim and began receiving checks. It all seemed to be going well until the driver of the other car involved in the collision pointed out to investigators that no one matching Joe’s description was in the friend’s car.
- An adjuster interviewed a man at his house on a routine stolen boat claim. The insured said his 21-foot vessel was stolen from his locked garage. It didn’t take a high-tech tool to discover this fraud with just a measuring tape: The garage was only 18 feet long.
And the answer is…the guys and Caryl Kane got it right this week. I made up #1! Can you believe what people think they can get away with???
Now this week’s Mystery Question. I liked the insurance scams so well, I decided to find a few more. As usual, three of the stories are true and one I made up. Leave your guess as to which one is false in the comments and I’ll enter you in the drawing for either a coloring book and pencils or a book from my library.
- A man dropped his television set and it tumbled down the basement stairs. The insurance company replaced the set with a new one. The insured bragged to a co-worker about the prompt and efficient service he received from his insurer. She told her husband who soon afterward called his own insurance company to report that he had dropped his set and taken it to the dump. Unfortunately for him, the same insurance adjuster handled both claims. He went to the dump and discovered that the make, model and the serial number of the TV set in the second case were the same as in the earlier case.
- A beautiful piece of sculpture was stolen in a home break-in. Its owner filed two claims for the theft of the same sculpture one in English and one in French. Fortunately, the claims adjuster was bilingual and spotted the scam.
- A man turned in a claim stating his patio furniture had been stolen off his balcony. The company was about to pay the claim when someone checked the address and discovered the man lived in a building with no balconies.
- A man said he was standing in his bathtub taking a shower when suddenly his whole house shook. He slipped and suffered a nasty injury. Apparently, a passing motorist had lost control of his truck and slammed into the house. The local paper had carried a story about the accident. It quoted an eyewitness who was standing outside the house at the time and saw the whole thing. Unfortunately for the claimant, the eyewitness was the same guy who filed the claim.
Okay, Super Sleuths, which story did I make up? Leave your answer in the comments and I’ll enter you in a drawing for a Christian coloring book or a book from my library.
BE SURE AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS:
Just a quick reminder ~ Summer of Suspense releases August 6, and is currently $.99. So be sure to preorder it before it goes to $9.99. Here are the links:
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And you have two more days to get the digital copy of Justice Betrayed for a $1.59 on Amazon and CBD $1.99 on B&N!
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Comments 43
I think #2 is made up.
Author
We’ll see, Monique! Thanks for dropping by.
Number 4
Author
Number four, hmmm? We’ll see, Linda. Thanks for commenting.
Going with #2
Author
Another one for #2! We’ll see, Linda. Thanks for taking the time to come by and comment!
#3
Author
Goodness, these answers are all over the place. We’ll see next week if it’s #3, Lisa.
I believe #1 was made up
Author
We’ll see, Brenda. Thanks for commenting!
4
Author
Another one for #4. We’ll see, Joan, we’ll see. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
I’m guessing #1.
Author
We’ll see, Caryl, we’ll see. Thanks for commenting!
Hi Pat, put me down for #3, please. These were all good, and all possible considering human nature. But, it’s really hard to believe someone would claim furniture stolen from a balcony he didn’t have. But then again, there are a lot of poor thinkers out there who are surprised when they’re found out.
Author
Congrats on last week’s question, Tim, and we’ll see if you’re right again this week. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
I think it’s #2 this time because I suspect a computer ID or serial # or case # would have picked it up more than the language difference, but I love these!
Author
We’ll see, Delores. Your logic makes sense… 🙂
These all sound made up to me! Wow! I’m glad I’m not in the insurance business! I’ll guess #3!
Author
I know, MS Barb! Can you believe ANY of these actually happened?? Thanks for stopping by.
I think that #1 is false.
Author
We’ll see, Gloria. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
If I win, I don’t want a coloring book. I never learned how to color in the lines, but I do know how to read. 🙂 For some reason, I think #1 is made up again. Would someone bother driving to the dump to get information off a TV set to file a bogus claim? How would they know which set belonged to the wife’s co-worker? I took some old TVs to the dump a year or two ago and the bin was almost full of TVs and computer monitors. I just scrolled back and noticed Caryl and I agree again but Tim picked a different one. Frankly, any of them could have been made up since even the true ones were made up in someone’s mind before they went into action.
Author
Again your logic amazes me, Edward. 🙂 And I guess you know why the coloring book is up for grabs…I can’t color in the lines either. lol But it is a beautiful coloring book with lovely scripture. Thanks for dropping by!
I am going with #1.
Author
That’s another one for #1. 🙂 We’ll see, Jackie. Thanks for commenting!
I think you made up #3
Author
Another one for #3. We’ll see, Alicia. 😉 Thanks for commenting!
I’m going with #3. Not because of the no balcony, but because most buildings with no balconies, probably don’t have patios either? (Side note: I know two of the ladies in your picture and have read some of their books. My analysis, it takes good people to write good books, and this is true, no scam.) 🙂
Author
Thank you, Jan. And I’m looking forward to seeing you at the library in October. 🙂 And, we’ll see if your logic wins the day.
#4
Author
We’ll see, Joni. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
I’ll go with three this time. They are all awesome! Have read books by all four of you ladies and I agree they are great!
Author
Thank you, Paula. I love the others’ books! And I’ll put you down in the #3 column. Appreciate you stopping by and commenting!
#1 because just too unbelievable
Author
I know, Shelia, I know…but it just might be. We’ll see next week! Thanks for stopping by.
3&4 made me laugh. I’m going to say #2 is fake.
Nice picture, BTW, it looks like you had a good time.
Author
I had a great time, Jessica! And I’m glad I was able to make you laugh today. Thanks for stopping by.
My pleasure
It seems Edward’s logic wins it for me this week! Who would go to the effort of getting the serial number off the TV from the dump? But again, truth is stranger than fiction sometimes 🙂
Lovely picture too by the way, it looks like you four ladies had a great time! I’ve read Pam Hillman’s books and love her writing 🙂
Author
All three of the ladies are wonderful and wonderful writers, Trixi. Thanks for stopping by.
Author
Edward does have good logic. Not always correct, but good. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Trixi.