Plymouth Rock Wins Three Awards at NJ Fraud Conference
The insurer was recognized for claims leadership, an investigation case and an appraisal supervisor at the 35th NJSIA Insurance Fraud Conference.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Financial Crime
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Plymouth Rock won three awards at the New Jersey Insurance Fraud Conference held in Atlantic City, including Investigation of the Year for its "Crash for Cash" case. The company also received Claims Executive of the Year for Rich Mariani and Claims Person of the Year for Patrick Golden.
Why it matters
The awards highlight the role of insurers in detecting organized fraud during New Jersey's Insurance Fraud Awareness Month. The recognized work centered on link analysis and digital investigative tools used to identify connected parties behind suspicious claims.
The Crash for Cash case was investigated through link analysis by SIU Analyst James Marciano, who connected the involved parties to 42 industry claims. The source does not indicate whether charges have been filed or the case has been resolved.
The players
Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rock is a New England-based insurer that writes auto and home coverage across six northeastern states and manages more than $2.5 billion in premiums.
Rich Mariani
Rich Mariani is Vice President of Claims at Plymouth Rock with roughly 40 years of claims leadership experience.
James Marciano
James Marciano is a Special Investigations Unit analyst at Plymouth Rock who conducted the link analysis in the Crash for Cash case.
The details
At the 35th Annual NJSIA Insurance Fraud Conference in Atlantic City, Plymouth Rock received Claims Executive of the Year for Rich Mariani, Vice President of Claims, who has championed intelligence analysts and social media tools in SIU work. The Crash for Cash case involved two related claims with PIP and Bodily Injury coverage, losses shortly after policy inception and no police report.
Timeline
New Jersey Insurance Fraud Awareness Month, when the conference was held in Atlantic City
Nov. 2, 2026, when Plymouth Rock issued its award announcement
Seasonal Patterns
The recognized work follows a 41% increase in Plymouth Rock's SIU referrals for questionable damage and towing charges over the past year. The company's investigators are now using link analysis and web-based tools to track connected parties across many claims.
Auto and home policyholders in New Jersey may see insurers scrutinize suspicious towing and damage charges more closely. Residents involved in accidents should expect heightened questioning of claims with rapid post-inception losses.
The takeaway
Insurers are increasingly using digital investigation and link analysis to uncover connected fraud rings, so accurate documentation of accident details remains important for policyholders.
Further reading
Explore more reporting in Financial Crime coverage across New Jersey.
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