San Diego (CNS)-The California Department of Insurance announced on Friday that an investigation involving a San Diego area auto insurance fraud group resulted in 32 defendants being charged. The group caused more than $800,000 in damages to more than a dozen insurance companies.

According to the prosecutor, the gang members purchased second-hand and/or damaged vehicles at a substantially reduced cost, and then filed exaggerated claims or staged thefts and crashes to profit from insurance payments.