This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays, we’re diving into the strange and surprisingly common world of insurance fraud. While some crimes might be rooted in desperation, the frauds we’re looking at today seem to have more to do with greed. What stands out isn’t just the sheer audacity of these schemes but also the creativity involved. In tough times, we often see an increase in these types of crimes, but it’s hard to imagine that personal financial hardship drove the people in these cases.
By now, most people have heard about the group in California who staged bear attacks on luxury cars using a costume. The “bear” scratched up a Rolls Royce and other high-end vehicles, supposedly causing over $140,000 in damages. Authorities weren’t fooled, and even called in a wildlife biologist to confirm that the “bear” was human. The ridiculousness of the bear outfit grabbed headlines, but there are plenty more bizarre insurance schemes out there.
For more examples of audacious and unusual crimes, check out our breakdown of some truly bizarre incidents in Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Episode 322.
Highway Scam in New York City
Many of us saw this story on TikTok, with a dashcam video of a suspicious crash making the rounds. A car on the Belt Parkway cut off another driver, stopped abruptly, and then reversed into her vehicle to make it look like an accident. The scammers added to the confusion by switching seats and using a tarp to block the view of their car’s interior.
What they didn’t expect was that the other driver had a dashcam, which captured the entire setup. The video not only exposed their plan but also went viral, ensuring their crime wouldn’t stay quiet. One participant was arrested after returning from Ecuador, but the others are still at large.
Curious about how dashcams and other technology play a role in exposing fraud? We explored this in The Most Common Ways Police Try to Trick People in Traffic Stops.
The $2 Billion Insurance Shuffle
Greg Lindberg ran an insurance empire that was essentially a house of cards. He created fake financial transactions between his companies to hide their instability and even tried to bribe North Carolina’s insurance commissioner to get favorable treatment.
The complexity of Lindberg’s scheme is mind-boggling, involving billions of dollars moved through shell companies and millions pocketed for personal use. Now in federal custody, he faces charges for conspiracy and money laundering. The real mystery here isn’t how he was caught, but how someone manages to defraud insurance companies of that much money in the first place.
If financial deception fascinates you, don’t miss our analysis of Delayed Trials and Judicial Loopholes in another high-stakes legal drama.
Farm Fraud in Missouri
Steven McBee, a farmer and reality TV star, admitted to falsifying crop insurance claims for years. He drastically underreported his corn and soybean yields—by hundreds of thousands of bushels—so he could claim millions in federal insurance benefits.
In 2018, he reported producing a fraction of what he actually harvested and even sold far more crops than he claimed to have grown. He also falsified planting dates to make his fields eligible for insurance coverage. All told, McBee’s fraud totaled over $4 million, and he now faces up to 30 years in prison.
Explore more about the legal implications of fraud in our article on Big Blood Testing News, which highlights surprising courtroom developments.
It’s easy to imagine that being on reality TV would make you feel invincible, but the fall from grace can be harsh. Reality stars often find themselves struggling to adjust when the attention fades, and the bills keep coming. Fame doesn’t usually come with financial advice, and in McBee’s case, it definitely didn’t come with a plan for how to avoid federal charges.
Insurance fraud is a risky game, and often, the bigger the scheme, the bigger the failure. Whether it’s fake bear attacks, staged car crashes, or falsified crop reports, these cases remind us that greed often leads to very public consequences.
For another dose of bizarre and unbelievable cases, visit our ongoing series Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 320.
