People are always trying to beat the system to make a quick buck. Sometimes, though, these efforts fall a bit short. Such was the case with these five car insurance scams that were caught by investigators at Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) in 2025.

Out of over 2,600 dodgy vehicle damage or injury-related claims that MPI investigators flagged, these topped them all. Had they not caught them, these five scams alone would have generated around $2 million in bogus payouts.

The ‘bodybuilder’ who still works out

In scam number one, a man gets into a two-car collision. The accident, he claims, won’t allow him to go to work, clean the house, cook, or even watch his kids. The MPI Special Investigations Unit finds it odd that the man’s small crash has resulted in such a catastrophic result. So they follow him.

It turned out that despite his “injuries,” he was still able to go to the gym, lift massive weights, do squats, and didn’t look anything like someone who feels pain just sitting down. His income-replacement and personal-care benefits, totaling $300,000, are immediately terminated.

The man who set himself on fire

Case number two involved a man who claimed he was involved in an incident in which a large commercial vehicle caught fire in a hotel parking lot, resulting in an explosion. He suffered burns while, he claimed, attempting to fight the fire for 10 minutes straight with an extinguisher.

After reviewing police reports, statements from hospital personnel, and video footage of the entire incident, it was determined that he had staged the whole scene. Unfortunately for him, while carrying out the arson, he hadn’t anticipated an explosion. There was also no evidence that he attempted to extinguish the fire. One million insurance claim denied.

Destined for Dubai

In the third case of car insurance fraud, the car owner reports that his ride was stolen from a lot and collected the insurance payout. Nothing strange there.

However, later, authorities found a vehicle matching his in Ontario, inside a container with 14 others, ready to be shipped off to Dubai. No break-in marks, no signs of hotwiring. Just one problem: the claimant filed the theft report after the car had already been in Ontario for several days. MPI is now working to recover the more than $51,000 they paid out.

Porsche owner learns a hard lesson

The fourth car insurance scam involved two cars that collided, but the drivers’ stories did not add up, nor did the evidence. One of the drivers claimed he had attempted to avoid a Porsche backing out of a driveway. Unfortunately, due to vehicles parked on the street, he had no room to maneuver.

The driver of the Porsche then supposedly exited the vehicle and ran into the home. A short while later, they returned with additional people. The claim reported that the fully licensed registered owner of the Porsche was driving and had two other people in the vehicle.

It turned out that not only was the registered owner not in the vehicle, but the individual driving the Porsche had only a learner’s permit, and no one else was in the car. It also turned out that the owners of both vehicles knew one another. The claim was denied and saved approximately $154,000.

Foiled by cases of beer

In the fifth case of absurd car insurance fraud uncovered by MPI, an auto collision supposedly caused a man pain that he said was increasing in intensity. He claims he can’t lift more than five pounds and quits his job purchasing and transporting bulk supplies. The injuries he supposedly suffered limited him to a lifting capacity of zero to five pounds maximum.

Again, like in the first case, the MPI Special Investigations Unit follows the man. What they see is the man routinely running errands and performing work for his business for approximately 7 to 10 hours every day.

The kicker was that witnesses observed him loading up to 18-20 cases of beer into the trunk of his vehicle without assistance. Case closed, saving more than $480,000, and now they are making efforts to reclaim the $19,000 in benefits he already received.