Vehicles taken ‘hostage’ in Inland Empire insurance fraud scheme, authorities say

More than a dozen people are accused of engaging in an elaborate fraud scheme across the Inland Empire that entailed making false representations to people involved in collisions in order to take their vehicles and hold them “hostage” until receiving insurance payments, authorities said Friday, May 10.
Search warrants were executed Thursday by the Inland Empire Automobile Insurance Task Force, led by investigators from the California Department of Insurance and composed of law enforc