Fraudulent Claim Sparks Financial Freeze

A claimant's bank funds have been frozen following accusations of fraudulent activities involving counterfeit medical invoices.

The civil lawsuit, initiated by NRMA Insurance, targets Haneen Asfour, who is accused of securing funds through false pretenses. The insurer alleges that Asfour accumulated $380,594 through deceptive claims.

After a car accident in Prospect in December 2022, Asfour began receiving statutory benefits from NRMA. However, additional payments were requested for private medical treatments that, according to sworn testimonies from medical practitioners, were never provided.

The extreme measure of halting Asfour’s financial transactions was deemed necessary by a NSW Supreme Court judge, who expressed the likelihood of Asfour potentially diverting or disposing of the misappropriated funds.

The court’s decision is rooted in claims that, without the order, Asfour could easily deplete the alleged fraudulent funds by various means such as withdrawing from bank accounts or transferring assets to more obscure locations.

NRMA's legal team claims that the fraudulent activities were apparent and purposeful, aimed at exploiting the insurer’s funding for private pain management and therapy sessions that did not occur.

The freezing order and NRMA’s statement of claim were formally presented to Asfour last week. Nonetheless, she will continue to receive her statutory payments of $2113 fortnightly, after tax deductions, amid ongoing investigations.

Published:Wednesday, 5th Jun 2024
Source: Paige Estritori

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Knowledgebase

Proximate Cause:
The primary cause of loss in an insurance claim, which sets in motion a chain of events leading to the damage or injury.

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