Mercury Insurance's Michael Lamb Named Investigator of the Year by Iasiu's Southern California Chapter

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (August 27, 2012) -- Mercury Insurance Group’s Michael Lamb has been named Investigator of the Year by the Southern California Chapter of the International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU).  This is the second consecutive year a Mercury Special Investigations Unit (SIU) member has been chosen, and qualifies Lamb for IASIU’s national honor, to be announced Sept. 10.

“We’ve prided ourselves on having the best investigators in the business since becoming one of the first to establish an SIU back in 1978,” said Dan Bales, Mercury’s national director of special investigations.  “This is the second year in a row we’ve had an investigator win the Chapter’s top honor and it’s a testament to the company’s culture and the quality of the investigators who represent it.

“Hardly a month goes by that we don’t get news of another successful investigation by Michael leading to an insurance fraud arrest.  Congratulations to him and all of our incredibly skilled staff.”

Lamb, who has been a member of Mercury’s SIU for eight years, completed approximately 100 auto theft claim investigations during the past year, with 18 resulting in arrest and prosecution. 

“Successful investigations are a result of great teamwork, and I’m very fortunate to work with an extremely skilled staff,” said Lamb.  “The IASIU recognition is evidence of all of the hard work and long hours our entire team has put in over the past year to help decrease insurance fraud.”

Insurance fraud is estimated to cost consumers $80 billion each year, with automotive scams being one of the leading types.

“Fraud is not a victimless crime,” said Lamb.  “It can affect the rates of honest, hardworking policy holders, so it’s imperative we all work to put a stop to it.”

ABOUT MERCURY INSURANCE (www.mercuryinsurance.com)

Mercury Insurance (MCY) is a multiple-line insurance organization offering predominantly personal automobile and homeowners insurance through a network of independent agents in California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Arizona, New York, Georgia, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Virginia and Pennsylvania.  Since 1962, Mercury has specialized in offering quality insurance at affordable prices – core values that distinguish Mercury in the marketplace.