Safeguard our Seniors

3 charged with stealing seniors' identities, filing bogus insurance claims

By Erika Pesantes

South Florida Sun Sentinel

8:58 PM EDT, April 22, 2009

PALM BEACH COUNTY

A trio who preyed on seniors, stole their identities and filed bogus insurance claims totaling $50,000 has been apprehended, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced today.

Corey Blue Petro, 22, of West Palm Beach, and his father, Rickie S. Petro, 42, and Eda Siganoff, 43, who both live west of Boca Raton, were charged with racketeering, grand theft, fraudulent use of personal identification information and insurance fraud.

The trio targeted at least eight victims between 65 and 96 years old in public parking lots -- mostly near grocery stores -- throughout Palm Beach County, investigators said. They solicited unlicensed auto body work from victims and either performed the work in the parking lots or at the seniors' homes.

While fixing dents and scratches on cars at $300 to $400 a pop, the suspects had access to the victims' personal information, said Jayme O'Rourke, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Financial Services.

The suspects then purchased auto insurance policies under victims' names and later reported being in a car accident with the senior. They provided insurance companies with a phone number leading to one of the suspects who pretended to be the elderly victim and confirmed being in a car crash. The Financial Services' Division of Insurance Fraud investigation showed the suspects filed 26 false insurance claims in the county.

The Petros and Siganoff allegedly carried on the scheme from January 2007 through last December. If convicted, they could face up to 75 years in jail.

Over the past year, Sink's department has worked about 500 financial fraud cases committed against seniors. Anyone with information about this case or other suspected insurance fraud can call the Fraud Fighters Hotline at 800-378-0445 or go to www.MyFloridaCFO.com/fraud. Complaints can be tracked online.

Erika Pesantes can be reached at epesantes@SunSentinel.com or 561-243-6602.