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Law enforcement officers trying to stop PIP or Personal Injury Protection fraud have more work than they can handle. They’re asking state lawmakers for help. As Whitney Ray tells us, undercover officers were at the state capitol telling lawmakers what needs to be done to stop PIP fraud.

Masked men were in the state capitol today concealing their identities because they investigate the fastest growing insurance fraud in the state.

These sheriff’s detectives have been undercover investigating how criminals abuse personal injury protection or PIP insurance to steal millions of dollars

PIP is mandatory for all Florida drivers. It pays up to 10-thousand dollars in medical costs from auto accidents regardless of who is at fault. Criminals know this and stage wrecks to get big payouts.

“In my participations I’ve been both. I’ve been either the driver of the struck vehicles, the driver of the striking vehicle or I have been the passenger,” said Jose Morales, with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Detective Jose Morales infiltrated a ring of PIP fraudsters and participated in the staged wrecks and false medical bills that followed.

“The clinic will get 10-thousand dollars from my insurance for the service,” said Morales.

The detectives say there are entire medical clinics dedicated to ripping off insurance companies. They are called PIP mills. Detectives say the only way to shut them down is to pass stricter regulations on doctors who own clinics.

“There names are not even on the bank accounts. How can you own a clinic and not have your name on the bank account,” said Detective Ronnie Cooper.

Insurance companies paid out 2.7 billion dollars in PIP claims last year. That’s up 900 million dollars from a year ago. State leaders have vowed to fix the problem in next year’s legislative session. The detectives also say that some of the fraudsters stage anywhere from eight to 14 accidents per year, since the $10,000 payout is per incident.