Apparently insurance fraud is such a rampant problem in this country that it’s even happening to dogs. Yes, as in woof, woof. Michael Haddock of Saugatuck, Michigan knows this all to well, as his dog, Ryder, was the victim of a fraudulent unemployment claim. Yep.
Fortunately, Ryder’s human is an attorney, so when he received a letter from the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance agency addressed to Michael Ryder, Michael Haddock knew something was off. “I got a letter from the UIA on Saturday, my name is Michael, my dog is Ryder. I was surprised to see it, but I had a good laugh, actually,” he said.
Haddock posted about the experience to Facebook, “So my dog Ryder gets approved for unemployment benefits of 360 per week. I call the state and get a voicemail they are busy, call back. Not sure what he is going to do with the money but should be interesting. I knew he was clever but he surprised me on this one,” he wrote.
Haddock doesn’t know if Michael Ryder is in fact a real person, but it’s certainly quite the coincidence. On Tuesday, the UIA announced it would be launching a special investigation team to handle the recent influx of fraudulent claims. The company admits that while it did send out the letter to Haddock’s address, it was flagged as suspicious later on. Apparently, they got as much of a kick out of the mix-up as Haddock.
UIA’s State Administrator of Investigations, Time Kolar said, “Unfortunately, Michael Ryder’s claim will not be allowed.” I know firsthand it is rare for man’s best friend to contribute financially to the household and that will continue in this instance.
