Department of Insurance investigation leads to additional charges against Fresno woman for nine felony counts of fraud and identity theft
News: 2021 Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. - Christina Mejia, 31, was arraigned today on nine felony counts of insurance fraud and identity theft after she allegedly stole multiple victims’ identities to purchase an insurance policy and filed a fraudulent claim involving a 2020 Cadillac. These additional charges are the result of a California Department of Insurance investigation intended to protect both consumers and businesses from fraud.
The Department began an investigation after an insurance company suspected one of their customers had misrepresented the date of an accident involving a 2020 Cadillac. The investigation revealed the customer involved in the claim was actually a victim of identity theft and Mejia filed the claim under the victim’s name.
On March 3, 2021, hours after Mejia purchased the policy with stolen personal information, she filed a claim under her victim’s name where she alleged the vehicle was damaged when Mejia struck a pothole in the road. The 2020 Cadillac was registered to one of Mejia’s victims, and she used the name of another victim to purchase the insurance policy. Neither victim knew Mejia personally and had no idea their identities had been stolen.
Investigators discovered that although Mejia opened the policy under her victim’s name, she used her own personal email account to receive and sign the policy documents. She was also positively identified by a local body repair shop employee as the person who brought the 2020 Cadillac in for repair.
Mejia had previously been contacted by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department on two prior occasions for driving vehicles that were registered to one of the victims in this case. On June 23, 2021, Mejia was arrested by the Fresno County Help Eliminate Auto Theft (H.E.A.T.) Task Force on ten unrelated felony counts of grand theft auto and identity theft for using the victim’s identity to purchase at least two vehicles from local dealerships.
Mejia is being held at the Fresno County Jail. This case is being prosecuted by the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office.
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Led by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the California Department of Insurance is the consumer protection agency for the nation's largest insurance marketplace and safeguards all of the state’s consumers by fairly regulating the insurance industry. Under the Commissioner’s direction, the Department uses its authority to protect Californians from insurance rates that are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, oversee insurer solvency to pay claims, set standards for agents and broker licensing, perform market conduct reviews of insurance companies, resolve consumer complaints, and investigate and prosecute insurance fraud. Consumers are urged to call 1-800-927-4357 with any questions or contact us at www.insurance.ca.gov via webform or online chat. Non-media inquiries should be directed to the Consumer Hotline at 800-927-4357. Teletypewriter (TTY), please dial 800-482-4833.
