Staged auto accident questionable claims (QC) increased 46 percent from 2007 through 2009, and Florida ranked as the Number 1 state for generating the most staged accident QCs, according to a new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Although New York City was the top metropolis with 1,304 reports, Florida had three cities in the top five — Tampa with 562, Miami with 511, and Orlando with 422. Houston with 376 rounded out the top tier for cities. Statewide, the numbers were Florida with 3,006, New York with 1,680, California with 1,619, Texas with 792 and Illinois with 433. In Florida, insurance fraud of all types is handled by the Division of Insurance Fraud, the law enforcement arm of the Department of Financial Services. So far this year, the division has arrested 27 persons for allegedly staging auto accidents.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau, headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., is a not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft. The organization is supported by nearly 1,100 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. www.nicb.org.