Fashion meets fraud in a bizarre workers’ compensation investigation in New York.
Ms. Nneka Ingram was previously featured in a June 2014 news article on CBS New York and is a former MTA bus driver who reportedly spent $20,000 on a “bling and makeup mobile.” A short commercial posted in July 2014 is available on YouTube detailing the origins and services of Ms. Ingram’s business, the Celebrities Mobile Boutique.
However, CBS New York has reported that Ms. Ingram was recently arrested on charges of grand larceny and workers’ compensation fraud-related charges. The complaint alleges that Ms. Ingram has received over $84,000 in disability payments from 2011-2013 resulting from a post-traumatic stress disorder type claim due to a passenger allegedly spitting on her and threatening her. Investigators obtained surveillance footage and appear to have culled posts from various social media profiles in support of the charges.
Ms. Ingram’s case serves as a valuable reminder to employers in all industries as to the value of social media investigations in any liability or compensation related claim and to injured workers of the pitfalls of broadcasting work-related activities on the Internet.
For more, see Box Truck Business Popping Up In an Area Near You and Ex-MTA Bus Driver Investigated For Allegedly Violating Workers’ Compensation