NJ DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND INSURANCE CELEBRATES OPENING OF NEW WHIPPANY OFFICE FOR REGIONAL FRAUD DETERRENCE DIVISION

States News Service

The following information was released by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance:

Led by Acting Commissioner Susan Ochs, the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance today marked the grand opening of the new regional Whippany office for its Bureau of Fraud Deterrence, whose staff plays a crucial role in protecting NJ consumers and rooting out insurance fraud.

The Bureau, operating from three regional offices around the state, investigates civil insurance fraud violations referred by consumers or industry participants and has the authority to levy fines and penalties, and recoup fees.

Fraudulent insurance claims have a direct impact on affordability, costing U.S. consumers over $300 billion a year, according to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud.

"Our Bureau of Fraud Deterrence is on the front lines helping to reduce insurance fraud and protect consumers from bad actors within the industry," said Acting Commissioner Ochs. "Safeguarding our marketplace increases trust and lowers costs for consumers, making insurance more affordable for everyone."

Investigations span all lines of insurance business, including auto, life, health, home, travel, and pet insurance. The Bureau also partners with County Prosecutors and the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor in the New Jersey Attorney General's Office on their investigations, which are both criminal and civil in nature. Since 2023, the Bureau has resolved over 1,500 cases through Consent Orders or Judicial Orders, for fines totaling over $13 million.

Referrals come through several channels. Under the New Jersey Insurance Fraud Prevention Act, insurance companies are required to refer any matter that the company believes involves suspicious, fraudulent, or misleading information.

Residents can also make a referral to the Department online through the Consumer Inquiry and Response Center or by calling 609-292-7272 or 1-800-446-7467, or also online through the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.

The Bureau is led by George Wall, who joined the Department in 2020 after extensive experience fighting insurance fraud with the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office where he was a member of the Insurance Fraud Unit, White Collar Crime Unit and Computer Services Unit, and later served as Chief of Detectives where he remained until 2013. He then served as an investigator for the NJ Judiciary, Warren County, in both the Criminal and Civil Divisions, before joining the Department of Banking and Insurance Major Fraud Unit.

The new regional office, located in Whippany, is led by the office's Managing Investigator Ron Dellanno, a long-time investigator with the Bureau, and handles cases for the northern part of the state. In addition to the Whippany office and its main office in Trenton, the Bureau also has a southern regional office in Cherry Hill.

WHIPPANY Led by Acting Commissioner Susan Ochs, the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance today marked the grand opening of the new regional Whippany office for its Bureau of Fraud Deterrence, whose staff plays a crucial role in protecting NJ consumers and rooting out insurance fraud.

Fraudulent insurance claims have a direct impact on affordability, costing U.S. consumers over $300 billion a year, according to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud.