JERSEY CITY, NJ (TIP): An Indian American woman has been charged with insurance fraud by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP) in New Jersey.

Rajinder Kaur, 35, of Jersey City, has been indicted for allegedly filing crash claim against insurance policy which she obtained after accident occurred. She could face up to five years in prison and $15,000 in fines, if convicted, authorities said.

A state grand jury charged Kaur with one count of third-degree insurance fraud for allegedly submitting claim which occurred before the policy was in effect.

“Crash-and-buy schemes are one of the most common insurance fraud scams in the country. Like any auto fraud, these scams drive up insurance rates for honest policy holders,” said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi. “Drivers tempted to commit this kind of illegal chicanery after a crash should think about the serious criminal penalties they’ll face.”

According to the indictment, Kaur filed her claim with Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO). Within days or months of obtaining insurance, the defendant allegedly filed claim for prior accident.

New Jersey’s acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi said “drivers tempted to commit this kind of illegal chicanery after a crash should think about the serious criminal penalties they’ll face.”