Allstate's Richard Wong Named 'Investigator Of The Year' By International SIU Group

The Allstate Insurance Company investigator who uncovered several multi-million-dollar auto-insurance fraud schemes was named "Investigator of the Year" this week by the International Association of Special Investigations Units (IASIU). This is the first time in the history of IASIU that an insurance company investigator has been given this prestigious award.

Richard Wong, Allstate's Special Investigation analyst for Southern California, reviewed and analyzed thousands of claims to determine patterns of fraud. His work uncovered several million-dollar fraud schemes involving doctors, lawyers and chiropractors. In one case, Allstate filed a $107 million lawsuit against several individuals accusing them of defrauding the company. This is the largest fraud-related case in the history of insurance.

"This award recognized the positive impact Allstate's anti-fraud effort has had on the company, the insurance industry and the public at large," said Ed Moran, assistant vice president for the Allstate Special Investigations Unit. "We are pleased that Richard's dedication to protect the lives and property of our customers is acknowledged by his peers. We will continue to lead the industry in the fight against insurance fraud."

In 1997, Allstate sued more than 1,000 people involved in an auto insurance fraud ring in New Jersey. More recently, Allstate was awarded $10 million in California after it successfully used the RICO act to sue several lawyers and chiropractors for filing false auto insurance claims.