‘Frankie the Fraudster’ to Thank New York Trial Lawyers, et al Throughout 2012
New York, Jan.17…A nefarious – and pointedly obnoxious – cartoon character called “Frankie the Fraudster” was today named a 2012 spokesman for New Yorkers Stand Against Insurance Fraud (NYSAIF), an organization of drivers fighting rampant auto insurance fraud in the Empire State. The so-called “Fraud Tax” has cost New Yorkers more than $1 billion in higher auto premiums over the past five years. Drivers here pay 53% more for auto insurance on average than other Americans.
“Frankie the Fraudster” personifies the thousands of criminals at work every day, crashing into innocent drivers and running up fraudulent medical bills as a way to scam New York’s loophole-ridden “No Fault Insurance” system. Recent surveillance video of “Frankie the Fraudster” is available here.
Legislation to crack down on organized criminal enterprises scamming New York’s no-fault system has widespread support, especially among law enforcement authorities. Each of the five New York City district attorneys supports legislation in Albany to address auto insurance scams, but the bills never make it to the floor, thanks largely to the efforts of the New York Trial Lawyer Association which actively works to block them each year. The New York Trial Lawyer Association has repeatedly refused to provide estimates on how much its members have profited from New York’s broken system.
“This is a real honor,” Frankie the Fraudster said of his appointment. “After working in the shadows ripping off New Yorkers for years, I am finally getting my moment in the sun. I can’t wait to wrap my arms around the first New York Trial lawyer I see and never let go. I may just about have a heart attack when I begin attending their events!”
NYSAIF also announced that it will roll out a full-sized “Frankie the Fraudster” character who will visit the hallways of Albany throughout the year and visit as many New York State Trial Lawyer Association events as possible to thank its members for keeping New York’s laws weak.
“NYSAIF created this character to draw public attention to one of the greatest criminal rip-offs in New York State history,” said NYSAIF counsel and former Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney David Schwartz. “Frankie the Fraudster may elicit some smiles, but at the end of the day, there is nothing funny about the Fraud Tax in New York. We will continue to urge the New York Trial Lawyers Association –through all means at our disposal – to join with us in finding a workable solution to the auto insurance crisis in our state.”
The latest high-profile insurance scam involved bogus anti-Semitic attacks on Midwood, Brooklyn automobiles.
Press Contact: Bill O’Reilly, 212-396-9117
