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Former Adjuster Charged With Creating Then Approving $190K in Fake Property Claims

October 3, 2025

A former New Jersey insurance adjuster has been charged with creating and submitting phony claims, approving them himself, and directing nearly $200,000 in payments to bank accounts he controlled.

John Philbin, of Clementon, has been charged with insurance fraud and theft by deception, according to Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.

According to court documents, Philbin was a property claims adjuster for Assurant Insurance Co. and had authority to approve insurance claims. From October 3, 2022, to May 22, 2023, Philbin allegedly knowingly created or caused to be created 11 fictitious claim files under false identities. According to prosecutors, he also fabricated vendor estimates and invoices purporting to reflect emergency mitigation or restoration work by non-existent companies.

Philbin allegedly assigned the claims to himself and approved the claims under his individual authority. To facilitate the scheme, prosecutors maintain Philbin sed Post Office boxes in Clementon and Blackwood. Internal audit logs and document metadata bearing Philbin’s unique identifier allegedly linked him to the creation and approval of the fabricated documents. The insurer paid out approximately $191,163 on these fictitious claims.

The charges and allegations are merely accusations, and Philbin is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

“The cost of insurance is something all families must be concerned with,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Insurance fraud only adds to that cost. In this case, the defendant is someone who worked in the industry. We need to be able to trust the people who are working for insurers to do their jobs fairly and honestly.”

Topics Claims Property

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