Insurance Fraud Casebook: Paying a Premium for Crime

Fault of Fortune

JYOTI KHETARPAL

Most economies around the world were facing problems at the time of this case. Big corporations were suffering steep declines in revenue, and the service industry was hit hard on the bottom line as turnovers dropped. Management started pressuring their sales teams to meet unbelievably high targets, insurance companies included. Organizational leaders had started resetting their budgets for the next couple of years based on this downtrend, and layoffs were commonplace.

Sean was born and raised in a small town. He had been a below-average student since childhood. He was brought up in a large family and received little individual attention. His family was so preoccupied with meeting their daily needs that his below-average school performance was hardly noticed. He had a chance to get a basic education, and that was enough for him and his family. Neither his academic performance nor his family encouraged him to attain a professional degree.

After he finished high school, he could not find a job anywhere in his hometown, but he had to support his two youngest siblings and his elderly parents. Even the most basic, entry-level positions he applied for had steep competition due to the economy, and Sean's poor grades in school knocked him out of the running quickly. He searched for almost a year before deciding to start looking in towns and cities nearby. ...