A Quebec man will be in court Friday facing arson and fraud charges following an investigation by police that has made him out to be not the victim, but the alleged perpetrator of the crime.
Following an investigation on an alleged arson claim for
Aviva Canada, Daniel Vallières was charged with Arson – Disregard For Human Life, Arson - Own Property, and Arson For Fraudulent Purpose by the Sûreté du Québec.
“The blatant disregard for the safety of the public and firefighters is unconscionable,” said Irene Bianchi, executive vice president of claims at
Aviva Canada. “Sadly, we see these types of arson-for-profit schemes too often. Appropriate punishment for perpetrators is one of the strongest deterrents in preventing repeat occurrences.”
Already in custody on an unrelated matter, Vallières is scheduled to appear in a Trois-Rivières, Que. court on February 20 in relation to the arson charges.
Vallières claimed that on the night of January 23, 2014, two unknown suspects set fire to his house in Bécancour, Que. Discovering the fire, he alerted his wife and children, who fled the home. The fire completely destroyed the house despite the efforts of 25 firefighters who battled the flames. Fire causal experts concluded the cause of the fire was arson.
No one was injured.
Subsequently, Vallières made a claim for the loss of his home, and Aviva Canada began a routine investigation.
“The police investigation revealed that the man (Vallières) intended to defraud his insurance company," said the spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec, Sergeant Hugo Fournier.
Aviva Canada has stepped up its tough approach to tackling fraud with more dedicated resources and an investment in technology that aims to identify fraud through its anti-fraud team.
“We have zero tolerance for anyone who is found to be committing fraud,” said Bianchi. “Aviva will always work with public authorities and pursue charges in any instance where we uncover potential criminal activity. This is part of our commitment to curb insurance fraud to protect the policy premiums of our customers.”
The impact of insurance fraud in Canada is estimated at over $1.6 billion dollars annually.
