5 Dumbest Auto Insurance Fraudsters
Photo: jenineabarbanelHave you been tempted to get rid of that piece of crap car you’ve been driving for 10 years by torching it, crashing it or having it stolen for auto insurance money? You’re apparently not alone. These five wannabe scammers made their best (and dumbest) attempts at committing auto insurance fraud to make a quick buck. 1. Jail Time for a Scammer GroomIn the United Kingdom county of Manchester, a bridegroom and his parents were jailed for a year after making false compensation claims. Andrew Singh, 26, his mother Niramella and father Graham claimed they were injured in two minor crashes involving some of their wedding party. They sued the operator of the bus they chartered then submitted a video that they said could prove they’d been in the bus. The only problem is that further in the tape, Singh and his family could be seen dancing and having a ball after the accident. They had sued the company for £1,500 each but ended up having to pay £73,000 in court costs. 2. When Posting on YouTube Goes WrongA brother and sister duo thought it would be cool to commit insurance fraud by making false collision claims on two separate occasions. The first time, Jay Xi Chen claimed his sister Tracy Chen Chen had crashed his Nissan GT-R, but then withdrew his claim. The second time, only two and a half months later, he filed another claim for the same vehicle, claiming he had crashed it this time. The guy naively made two mistakes, however. First, he forgot that his car had been at a local collision repair shop for two months and therefore couldn’t have been in the second accident. Not to mention that there was a video posted on YouTube of the car crashing into a wall. Ultimately, they were charged with seven combined counts of felony insurance fraud and faced five years of prison. 3. Teacher’s Fraud Attempt Goes Up In FlamesTramesha Lashon Fox, a Houston high school chemistry teacher, decided she was tired of making her monthly car payments and gave a couple of her failing students As in exchange for a little car theft and arson. Her students did the deed but couldn’t hold their tongues about the incident. As a result, the teacher was busted, lost her job and was sentenced to 90 days in jail. Well, at least she no longer had to worry about her car insurance payments 4. Two Couples, One Really Dumb IdeaRobert and Teresa Hammond, along with Margaret Dillavou and Paul Gaines from Illinois came up with the really bad idea of crashing the Hammonds’ car into a tree to collect a sizable insurance claim. They even videotaped the entire event. The only problem is that some time later, after Dillavou and Gaines started a divorcing process, Gaines found the videotape that Dillavou had lost. The bitter soon-to-be ex-husband turned the tape into the authorities and scored the two men and women 24 months of probation. 5. Insurance Fraud Attempt Turns into a Muddy SituationMatthew Mueller of Akron, Ohio tried his best to commit a great fraudulent act when he decided his 1997 BMW’s insurance problems were too much to bear. Instead of getting the car fixed, he rented a backhoe, buried the car on his father’s rural property and reported the car stolen. This would have worked had he not had second thoughts about his decision. He tried to dig the car out with the same backhoe. Unfortunately, it got stuck in the mud. With evidence that he’d committed fraud for everyone to see, his muddy situation landed him a year in jail. Top 10 Distractions That Cause Car Accidents
Photo: Will MerydithDistracted driving is one of the most common causes of accidents. In fact, a study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) found that 80 percent of crashes involve some form of driver distraction. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to cease all activity that distracts you from watching the road. To help you out, here are 10 of the top distractions that cause car accidents. #1: Talking On the Cell PhoneYep, that’s right. Gabbing on the phone with your BFF could result in a devastating accident. So if you must take a call, it’s recommended that you pull over to do so. #2: TextingTexting while driving is considered worse than talking on the phone because you have to remove your eyes from the road to read or type a text. It’s so bad, in fact, that it’s now banned in 32 states, D.C. and Guam. #3: Personal PreppingWomen applying makeup and guys checking themselves out in the mirror are huge distractions. If you must do either, you should pull the car over, or even better, take care of it before leaving the house. #4: KidsAnother major distraction is parents turning around to yell at their kids. Of course, this should be avoided to keep both you and your kids safe. #5: Eating/DrinkingTrying to scarf down that morning breakfast or drink that hot cup of coffee is a huge distraction on the road. Why? Because you have to look down to grab whatever you’re trying to eat or drink. Not to mention that dropping or spilling the item could make you take your eyes off the road. #6: ReadingWhy someone would choose their moment behind the wheel to begin reading a newspaper is baffling. But people do it and doing it causes accidents. If you want to avoid an unnecessary car crash, wait until you get to your destination to read that story you’ve been dying to know about. #7: Staring at Attractive PeopleBelieve it or not, in Colombia, South America, men staring at women accounted for one in 20 crashes in 2005. While this type of distraction isn’t a stats-maker in the U.S., there’s something to be said for this behavior. There’s nothing wrong with checking someone out, but hopefully it’s not being done at the expense of safety. #8: Using a Navigation SystemMost people don’t think operating their vehicle’s navigation system while en route is a problem. But when being used during transit, it could be a huge distraction. To avoid any problems, set up the trip before leaving for your destination or pull over to use this system. #9: Watching a VideoMany cars nowadays come with DVD players, but this doesn’t mean that driver is supposed to use their transit time to watch the latest movie. For obvious reasons, don’t drive and watch a video. Wait until you’ve reached your destination to do this. #10: Changing a Radio StationSome drivers have mastered the art of changing a radio station, CD or Mp3 player without taking their eyes off the road. This is rare, however. If you’re not the best multi-tasker, it’s best to wait until you stop at a light to change your music selection since doing so at the wrong time could result in an accident. Top Asian Food BlogsThere is no doubt that Asian food is the most popular in the world and, although many countries share basic ingredients in the food’s preparation, each cuisine has its own signature. Our Top Asian Food Blogs have been categorized into their country of origin (the recipes at least), but do not be afraid to step beyond familiar boundaries to try something new! Chinese Cha Xiu Bao – Many great videos on this site explaining how to cook Cantonese food and commenting on modern life in Hong Kong Eating Asia – A great traveling blog, with many exciting and exotic recipes focusing mainly of the Chinese Sichuan style of cookery Japanese Just Hungry – Hundreds of authentic Bento Japanese recipes, with an active forum if you have any questions and a Bento shopping resource Kyoto Foodie – A superb, comprehensive guide to the food you would find in Kyoto, where to buy it, how to cook it and how to eat it! Indian Aayi’s Recipes – Aayi focuses on Konkan food – food from the west coast of India, in which coconut features heavily in the cuisine Chef in You – An alternative food blog compiled for the benefit of vegetarians and vegans, but containing many Indian recipes that carnivores will enjoy as well! Singaporean Chubby Hubby – Did you ever wonder why Singaporeans are so happy? The answer is in the food, and this blog is the place to find culinary nirvana Lady Iron Chef – Worth finding your way through the obvious advertising to find content of real value to fans of Singaporean food Vietnamese Savory Sweet Life – This award winning blog presents traditional Vietnamese recipes that can be simply cooked at home and includes plenty of sweet recipes for a change Wandering Chopsticks – A well designed and prolific blog which is packed full of Vietnamese cuisine and tales about a Vietnamese life in LA Korean Zen Kimchi – A nice Korean food blog which has an excellent feel good factor and a comprehensive Korean food 101 Viet World Kitchen – If you enjoy exploring new cuisines, this is the place to look. Each recipe simply explained and plenty of personal input Malaysian Rasa Malaysia – An excellent range of foods and recipes from Malaysia, integrated with some blogs on Malaysian life and sights Masak Masak – This blog mostly contains images of food that the author has purchased in Kuala Lumpar but it also has an interesting recipe section Filipino Market Manila – Ex-New York corporate banker returns to his home in Manila and prepares some excellent Filipino food Burnt Lumpia – A second generation Filipino, brought up in LA, discovers his heritage through food. A lot of good reviews in the press about this blog! Thai Appon’s Thai Food – A marvelous collection of Thai food recipes which set the mouth watering as you glance through the images. Enjoy Thai Food – A splendid blog, packed with information about real Thai food (street food), vegetarian Thai food and Thai sweets Asian Fusion I Eat I Shoot I Post – If you ever wondered what was so special about Asian food, this web site is full of fantastic (tasty!) images and news on Asian food issues Sticky Rice – A long established blog about eating out and about on the streets of Asia. Every type of Asian food you can imagine is covered in the extensive archives Top Modern Music BlogsAs with any art form, there are many different tags which can be applied to the general term “music”. Rather than say “this is good, this is not”, we have attempted to be as comprehensive as possible in the styles of music which are included in our Top Modern Music Blogs. We have tended to focus on what makes a good blog, rather than what makes good music, so you well may surprised with some of the content you read. Divided into mainstream music, indie (those artists without a major recording deal), new (genuinely new – we checked) and live, this collection of Top Modern Music Blogs should satisfy most people’s tastes. One thing that all the blogs have in common is that they are well-written, intelligent and justify their content. We hope that you feel they have justified their inclusion in our selection. Mainstream (AOL have heard of these people)Pop Matters – All forms of entertainment are included in this comprehensive blog which is brilliantly written, perceptive yet funny, and always up to date Spinner – Despite claims to be the ultimate blog for new artists, more recent articles have revolved around Joe Strummer, Morrissey, Pearl Jam and Roy Orbison! Idolator – News and gossip revolving around some of the biggest names in modern music, with a fantastic “wtf” section highlighting more off-the-wall news Noise Addicts – Unsurprising heavy on the metal, but provides solid material for music technicians and anybody with an interest in audio, instruments, sound, and noise Popdose – A nice mix of new and old, remixes, news and forthcoming live events. The site also has some intelligent and thought-provoking comments on current events Indie (What AOL regards as new music)Stereo Gum – Plenty of interesting features about the good, bad and ugly of the current “indie” music industry, with concert listings and reviews. Brooklyn Vegan – NYC-based indie music reviews and comprehensive concert listings from writers who obviously attend (and enjoy) the events they comment on Aquarium Drunkard – The “Drunkard” bridges the gap between mainstream and indie music quite admirably with a daily audio blog well worth listening to Music for Robots – Thankfully, not electro-funk or Radiohead, but an eclectic personal choice of good music, fascinating interviews and videos. Can You See The Sunset – A pop-punk/pseudo-metal blend of what would have been called “New Wave” in the seventies. Still alive with great music MP3s and videos New (Who are AOL?)The Hype Machine – A customizable blog which enables you to search through the latest hype for just your preferred genre of music or favored artist Culture Bully – Influential blog which is well-written and intelligent. Features new music from all over the globe and live events in Nashville Hypebot – Brilliantly sarcastic and often caustic look at the new music industry. Written by people who have been there and done it, and now just want to play with the technology! Mind the Gap – A fascinating walk through “new” music from the Arts Journal blog, which claims that “No genre is the new genre” OHM Park – Atlanta-based blog, which supports new local artists by promo-ing their music pre-release, and then removing it from the site so you have to go buy it! Live (Where AOL gets it’s music news from)Jam Base – Claims to be the web’s largest live music database for tours, tickets and reviews. Subscribers are invited to add their own comments and track when their favorite band is next appearing Live Music Blog – Possibly an uninventive title, but definitely a colossus in live music blogging, with details of festivals, concerts, tickets and photos from the events Hear Ya – Torn between a listing in the “Indie” and “Live” categories, the “Hear Ya” blog lists indie band sessions and offers downloads and reviews of their albums Live Music Guide – Does exactly what it says on the label and also advocates cheaper concert tickets. A good search facility makes this a really complete live music blog 52 Shows – Shame this blog is not more prolific because it had the fantastic idea of getting artists to contribute after their shows – like a review of oneself. Brilliant Top Humor BlogsHow do you gauge what represents the top humor blogs? What may be outrageously funny to one person may be simply outrageous to another. Fortunately, we have gained access to the RSS memberships rankings for each of the following blogs and can tell you that all of our Top Humor Blogs are very, very funny and read every day by thousands of people around the world. Deciding into which category each falls is a much more personal decision. We have spent hours laughing our way through them, and appreciating the clever humor which each contains. We hope that nobody feels offended if we label their sense of humor “cranky”! Top Laugh Out Loud Humor BlogsMy Mom is a FOB – FOB (in this instance) is “Fresh off the boat”, but the humor in this blog would be found funny by anybody under 50 years who has battled to explain the 21st Century to their parents. Help Feed the Troll – Mostly comprised on images that readers have spotted, this blog just gets funnier and funnier. Plenty of “OMG” and “LOL” moments Amy Oops – A collection of crazy videos that have appeared on YouTube, cartoons and timeless images, all with the same theme – they are very funny! All Funny Pictures – What started as a cartoon blog has developed over the past decade into an extensive almanac of jokes, videos and images Simply Ridiculous – Based on “The Bro Code” by Barney Stinson (“How I Met Your Mother”) a whole new “Bro-cabulary” is created in this blog. Love it! Top Cranky Humor BlogsI Hate My Message Board – A food themed blog which finds weird and wonderful items for sale on the shelves of America’s stores Dead Frog – Analyzes the lives of mostly dead stand-up comedians, and includes video clips of some of their funniest moments (when they were mostly alive) I Do Things, So You Don’t Have To – Absolutely wacky author, who goes off and does the most outrageous things and then blogs about them! J for Jokes – Some are old, some are new, but the jokes on this blog conveniently fit into an SMS message in case you want to share them with your buddies Mattress Police – Cranky in the way it is written (often in the third person present) but not cranky in content, this blog tells you what to think and how to think it Top Off the Wall Humor BlogsLife Just Keeps Getting Weirder – professional stand-up comedienne, Anna Lefler, blogs about life as a mother and housewife – very wittily! Nanny Goats in Panties – What started off as a humorous “life as it is” blog, has taken on a life of its own over the years. A goat’s life! Village of Joy – Selects the weirdest images and stories from the worlds of art, advertising and architecture – a strange combination in itself, but it works! Hurty Elbow – the “place for funny, weird, and awesome things” has a huge following due to the quirky nature of the comedy content. Enjoy! The Onion – Proclaiming itself to be “America’s Finest News Source”, the news would certainly be far better if it consisted of the stories on this blog Top Dry Humor BlogsDead Rooster – A Californian art restorer pokes fun at modern life with a series of commentaries on the way things are in the universe. Boardgames To Go – A selection of text and audio commentaries which “earnestly” ask such questions as “What is the optimum number of players in a board game?” Magick Sandwich – Is any celebrity safe on this site? Certainly not Charlie Sheen! Read opinionated, personal views of an adult nature in this excellent blog Bee’s Musings – With some many “male-comedy” orientated sites on the web, this is certainly one for the ladies. Cleverly written and very amusing (if you are a woman) The Ominous Comma – A great deal of humor from the therapy couch of Dr Harold Toboggins – all fictitious, but very much worth a read. |
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