New York State's Office of the Attorney General has taken an aggressive stance against fraud, particularly auto and healthcare insurance scams, and the team was recognized for its efforts by the New York Alliance Against Insurance Fraud (NYAAIF) as the "Prosecutor of the Year" during the NYAAIF meeting this week.

NYAAIF Chair Jim Berrigan applauded the efforts of Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and his team for successfully prosecuting a number of insurance-related fraud cases. Deputy Attorney General Stephanie Swenton, chief of the auto fraud unit, accepted the award on behalf of the office.

According to Liz DeBold, deputy press secretary for the attorney general, their office has seen a variety of frauds ranging from staged automobile accident rings to contractor scams and individuals posing as insurance brokers. "In New York City, an NYPD officer faces prison time for submitting four fraudulent insurance claims in just two years, including purposely crashing one Mercedes Benz for an insurance payout, and faking the theft of another one," she explained. "A notorious Albany roofer will now serve up to nine years for ripping off insurers on damage claims. And on Long Island, a man who falsely claimed he was an insurance broker and submitted hundreds of fraudulent policies is now serving a prison sentence of up to four years."