NH Insurance Department investigators referred a record 22 cases of suspected insurance fraud for prosecution in the last fiscal year, the agency has announced.

The fraudulent claims prosecuted during the period include two workers’ compensation claims, one homeowners insurance claim, one disability insurance claim, and 18 auto insurance claims. In total, they represent nearly $283,000 in fraudulent claims, said Insurance Commissioner Christopher Nicolopoulos.

“Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime,” Nicolopoulos said. It “hurts everyone by driving up costs for all consumers and undermining confidence in the marketplace.”

The Department also said that its fraud unit receives an average of 25 fraud referrals a month, of which 12 percent result in opened cases. In FY 2022, there were 298 fraud referrals resulting in 37 opened cases.