Passaic Co. Man Among 4 Busted In Travel Insurance Scam

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A Passaic County man was among four charged in a several-hundred-thousand-dollar insurance scheme.

Agustin Matos, 40, of North Haledon, was charged alongside Keyra Carla Liriano, 45, and Patricio Arturo Alfonso, 46, both of Fort Lee, as well as Kenia Ivonne Vasquez, 44, of Bronx, New York, for his role in the fraud, officials said.

According to the NJ Attorney General’s Office, the quartet would open several travel insurance policies with multiple insurance companies using fake names, covering the same trip to the same overseas destination.

They would then file false claims that they were hospitalized during their trips, attempting to rake in thousands of dollars of insurance money for treatment they never actually received, according to authorities.

Further investigation revealed that not only were they not hospitalized on their trips abroad, but they didn’t even go on the trips in the first place, officials said.

Investigators added that nearly every document sent to several insurance companies by the suspects was “altered, fraudulent, or completely fabricated.”

Officials said most of the phony insurance claims were denied; however, Liriano’s deceptive tactics were successful, cashing out $14,835.

The others attempted to claim the following in fraudulent funds, police said:

• Matos: $19,986
• Alfonso: $167,829
• Vasquez: $27,812
• Liriano: $37,226 ($14,835 successfully stolen, allegedly.)

All four have been charged with conspiracy, insurance fraud, attempted theft by deception, impersonation/theft of identity, and falsifying/tampering with records.

Liriano faces an additional charge of theft by deception.

All four face several decades in prison if convicted.