Millbrae Woman Charged with Insurance Fraud

Yin Kim Lau, 46, was arrested at her home in Millbrae on Tuesday on charges that her auto body shop in San Francisco scammed insurance companies out of more than $130,000.

Lau, the owner, and five employees of Golden City Auto Body, located at 950 Folsom St. in San Francisco, were embellishing damage to customers’ cars, and even impersonated customers while communicating with insurance companies, according to Stephanie Ong Stillman, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco district attorney’s office.

All six defendants appeared in court in San Francisco on Wednesday, but did not enter a plea. Lau is held on $750,000 bail.

Lau's defense attorney, Garrick Lew, said outside of court that the way his client and the others were arrested was "totally outrageous" since they have been cooperating with investigators and currently have a civil trial pending in the same case.

Lew said, "This is a paper case against insurance companies, this isn't a robbery or murder."

But Stillman defended the way the suspects were taken into custody.

"With multiple co-defendants, you have to do it all at once, out of the fear that someone might flee," she said.

The six suspects will return to court today to enter pleas and discuss the possible reduction of the bails.

Bay City News contributed to this report.