Insurance Adjuster From Clementon Pocketed $191K Through Fake Names, Businesses: AG

CLEMENTON, NJ — A local insurance adjuster is facing charges after authorities say he created fake identities to pay himself nearly $200,000 in insurance claims.

John Philbin, 48, of Clementon, was a property claims adjuster for Assurant Insurance Company, where he held authority to approve insurance claims. He was charged Sept. 23 with insurance fraud and theft by deception (both second-degree).

From October 2022 to May 2023, Philbin created 11 fictitious claim files under false identities, according to the NJ Office of the Attorney General (OAG). He also fabricated fake vendor estimates and invoices for non-existent companies, authorities said.

Philbin assigned the claims to himself and then approved them, officials said. He used PO Boxes in Clementon and Blackwood to facilitate the scheme, according to the OAG.

Internal audit logs and metadata with Philbin's unique identifier linked him to the creation and approval of the fabricated documents, authorities said. The insurer paid out $191,163 for the claims.

"The cost of insurance is something all families must be concerned with," said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. "Insurance fraud only adds to that cost."

Second-degree charges carry 5 to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $150,000 upon conviction.

Philbin will appear in court later this month for a pre-indictment conference, according to online court records.

"Mr. Philbin maintains his innocence and stresses that the charges are unproven allegations against him," said Philbin's attorney, Public Defender Nicholas J. Pugliese.

The OAG's Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor coordinates insurance fraud investigations statewide. You can report fraud anonymously by calling 1-877-55-FRAUD or visiting NJInsurancefraud.org.