Government programs enacted to combat the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to a significant increase in whistleblower complaints and fraud lawsuits, as many have recognized and as this column recently discussed. See Evan H. Krinick, "False Claims Act Cases Poised To Jump Now and for Years to Come," NYLJ (March 5, 2021).

The focus on COVID-19-related fraud does not mean, however, that local, state and federal authorities in New York will pay any less attention to insurance fraud than they have in the past. Indeed, if recent actions are any indication, government efforts to fight insurance fraud are just as strong now as they were in 2019.