1993. The following year, 1994, he began selling used cars but continued collecting compensation, a total of $9,353, then $8,047 in 1995, and $8,111 in 1996. Meanwhile, Dhillon’s family in Ludhiana sent money each year, and so did Parvesh’s. The combined value was about $10,000.
He had learned other ways to make extra cash. Soon after arriving in Canada, Dhillon heard of a scam. In the summer of 1984, he claimed he was in a fender-bender in his Oldsmobile 98 and filed a claim in the physical damage/collision category. He was paid $4,726. Five years passed before the next auto insurance claim. On October 5, 1989, Dhillon said, his 1980 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale was in an accident. He was listed as not at fault. He claimed disability benefits from that, was paid $2,704, plus an additional $165 in collision/physical damage, and more cash in medical expenses. Six months later, on April 4, 1990, came the next claim, this time for $358 for collision/physical damage to his 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. On June 12, $868 on a 1982 Buick Century. This time Parvesh was listed as being at fault. Part of the payment was for collision, the rest for property damage. The next claim, five months later, was $1,869 in “other claims” and “special perils” on the Cadillac. Two months after that, on November 9, 1990, there was another small payment, for $336 in damage to the Cadillac. By December 19, the date of the next accident claim, the Cadillac jackpot: a claim that it was stolen and damaged netted Dhillon $10,034.
Great deal, insurance. Much easier than factory work. Word of Dhillon’s dubious insurance claims got around in the Indian community. Even insurance agents talked about it and, ultimately,
official memos were circulated warning agents to watch out for Sukhwinder Singh Dhillon.
There were rumors that Dhillon purchased used cars, scratched them up with keys or a screwdriver, made damage claims, and that he reported his car stolen in Niagara Falls, even as it sat in a friend’s driveway in Hamilton. More outrageous still, Dhillon arranged for others to damage his cars. A taxi driver he knew ran into him. He invited a friend who lived in England to visit Hamilton, rent a car, and ram his vehicle. The friend left the country; Dhillon got the money. Dhillon was crazy, some thought, willing to risk his personal safety to make a bit of insurance money. Gobind, his mother, cringed at such talk. Nasty rumors. They could not be true. Sukhwinder was a good man. Was he not friendly with everyone? Did he not give gifts to everyone, all the time?
Early in 1991 the claims continued: $879 for a February 25 accident in his 1982 Buick Century, and $2,632 for an April 5 claim on a different Buick. On January 30, 1993, he filed a claim on an Oldsmobile; the payout was $2,688. Then two more claims, for an accident on October 20, $2,326 on the Olds again, and five months later, on March 8, 1994, for $2,850 on the same car.
Easy, so easy. Great deals, all of them. No one says anything about it, apart from jealous people in the community. Some talk at the temple. Screw them all. Let them talk.
Less than a month later came the biggest payout yet, an accident in the 1984 Chrysler New Yorker. He cashed in a claim that grossed more money than any of his family or friends made in an entire year. The accident, he claimed, occurred on April 6, 1994. Dhillon was listed on the claim as 100 per cent at fault. He received $96,706 in eight claims from the accident:
• $2,122 physical damage/collision
• $22,090 disability income benefit
• $2,037 in medical benefits, excluding rehabilitation and long-term care
• $22,055 in other disability income benefits
• $13,508 in rehabilitation
• $23,422 in student/preschool disability and income benefits
• $1,472 standard benefits-cost of examinations
• $10,000 bodily injury claims
Nearly a hundred thousand dollars. He never got that much again. Five months later he filed a $13,170
He had learned other ways to make extra cash. Soon after arriving in Canada, Dhillon heard of a scam. In the summer of 1984, he claimed he was in a fender-bender in his Oldsmobile 98 and filed a claim in the physical damage/collision category. He was paid $4,726. Five years passed before the next auto insurance claim. On October 5, 1989, Dhillon said, his 1980 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale was in an accident. He was listed as not at fault. He claimed disability benefits from that, was paid $2,704, plus an additional $165 in collision/physical damage, and more cash in medical expenses. Six months later, on April 4, 1990, came the next claim, this time for $358 for collision/physical damage to his 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. On June 12, $868 on a 1982 Buick Century. This time Parvesh was listed as being at fault. Part of the payment was for collision, the rest for property damage. The next claim, five months later, was $1,869 in “other claims” and “special perils” on the Cadillac. Two months after that, on November 9, 1990, there was another small payment, for $336 in damage to the Cadillac. By December 19, the date of the next accident claim, the Cadillac jackpot: a claim that it was stolen and damaged netted Dhillon $10,034.
Great deal, insurance. Much easier than factory work. Word of Dhillon’s dubious insurance claims got around in the Indian community. Even insurance agents talked about it and, ultimately,
official memos were circulated warning agents to watch out for Sukhwinder Singh Dhillon.
There were rumors that Dhillon purchased used cars, scratched them up with keys or a screwdriver, made damage claims, and that he reported his car stolen in Niagara Falls, even as it sat in a friend’s driveway in Hamilton. More outrageous still, Dhillon arranged for others to damage his cars. A taxi driver he knew ran into him. He invited a friend who lived in England to visit Hamilton, rent a car, and ram his vehicle. The friend left the country; Dhillon got the money. Dhillon was crazy, some thought, willing to risk his personal safety to make a bit of insurance money. Gobind, his mother, cringed at such talk. Nasty rumors. They could not be true. Sukhwinder was a good man. Was he not friendly with everyone? Did he not give gifts to everyone, all the time?
Early in 1991 the claims continued: $879 for a February 25 accident in his 1982 Buick Century, and $2,632 for an April 5 claim on a different Buick. On January 30, 1993, he filed a claim on an Oldsmobile; the payout was $2,688. Then two more claims, for an accident on October 20, $2,326 on the Olds again, and five months later, on March 8, 1994, for $2,850 on the same car.
Easy, so easy. Great deals, all of them. No one says anything about it, apart from jealous people in the community. Some talk at the temple. Screw them all. Let them talk.
Less than a month later came the biggest payout yet, an accident in the 1984 Chrysler New Yorker. He cashed in a claim that grossed more money than any of his family or friends made in an entire year. The accident, he claimed, occurred on April 6, 1994. Dhillon was listed on the claim as 100 per cent at fault. He received $96,706 in eight claims from the accident:
• $2,122 physical damage/collision
• $22,090 disability income benefit
• $2,037 in medical benefits, excluding rehabilitation and long-term care
• $22,055 in other disability income benefits
• $13,508 in rehabilitation
• $23,422 in student/preschool disability and income benefits
• $1,472 standard benefits-cost of examinations
• $10,000 bodily injury claims
Nearly a hundred thousand dollars. He never got that much again. Five months later he filed a $13,170
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