BOGUS POLICIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 254, 23 October 1920, Page 19

BOGUS POLICIES.

IXSCRAXC- AGENT'S FRAUD. •Hugh Cruicksbanks pleaded guilty at Glasgow SlierlfT Court to charges of having, at a registrar's office in 'Coatbridge, stolen two hooks of blank forms for extract entry of de-ath and having defrauded the Prudential Assurance Company (Limited) of sums amounting in all to alxout £lfiO. Ulr. James Adair, Deputy-Fiscal, slated that the accused was appointed an agent for the insurance company in 1910, and iv IOT 4he xvas appointed a district superintendent. From July. 1016, to November, 1918, he was engaged in munition work, aud during that time the premiums were collected by his wife, tills wife reported to the superintendent that she could not trace certain names that appeared In the collector's book, and xvas unable to get the premiums. The accused was spoken to. and he explained thai t*ese xvere people now resident abroad, and he himself received the premiums from thx'm periodically. This xvas considered quite a feasible explanation at the time. ißetween 1011 and 1917 he look out a number of policies on the lives of persons xvho did not exist. Where there xvere people of the name In the district he gaxe wrong addresses. He himself paid the premium on these policies. When lie thought the time hail arrived he started to make claims mi i_.» poUcies. There xvere also cases of genuine policies on people xx-lio were actually alive, and be got those policies by saying that they were required at the head ofiice for examination. He made declarations thai these people were dead, ami the declarations were signed by himself, or people xvho could not be traced. One woman told lilm she intended lo disconilinic her pol cy, nnd lie did not tell the- company, but continue- to pay tbe 'premium himself, lie then claimed ibe Insurance by stating that the woman was dead. The false certificates were filled In by the accused himself, and he slated a cause of death, gave the name of n doctor, anil filled In the form In the usual way. Txvo books of blank forms for extract entry of death were found in his desk at Ihe time he was apprehended. The whole affair xvas discovered by a woman going lo ask at the Registrar's ollice the meaning of a notice from the company that the policy on the death of her daughter was Subject to claim. The woman said her daughter was still alive, and investigations xvere made which led to discovery. Sheriff dlarx-ey passed sentence of six months' imprisonment.