North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced the arrest of Tieara Brewer, 28, of 1122 E. Ellerbee St., Durham. Brewer was charged with two counts of insurance fraud, one count of obtaining property by false pretense, and one count of an attempt to obtain property by false pretense, all felonies. Ms. Brewer was also charged with filing a false police report by Durham police related to this matter.
Special agents with the Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division accuse Brewer of filing two separate burglary reports with Durham police, claiming that someone had broken into her apartment and stolen multiple items. On the first reported theft, on Dec. 11, 2021, Brewer filed a renters’ insurance claim with Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. and received a $9,320.77 payment.
Brewer is accused of then filing another burglary report with Durham police, saying that on Sept. 27, 2022, someone broke into her apartment again and stole multiple items. She submitted a renters’ insurance claim to her new insurance provider, Assurant Insurance Co., and submitted the same items and pictures that she had submitted in the first claim as a proof of loss. She attempted to get paid $9,471 in this claim, however it was denied after the first claim was discovered.
Brewer was arrested on March 20. She was given a $7,500 secured bond.
“Insurance fraud hits consumers in the wallet,” Commissioner Causey said. “Approximately 20 cents of every insurance premium dollar go to covering the cost of fraud. I’m fighting this by aggressively pursuing and prosecuting insurance fraud in North Carolina.”
If you suspect insurance fraud or other white-collar crimes, please report it. You may anonymously report fraud by calling the N.C. Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840.
Information is also available at www.ncdoi.gov.