Cops: Slip and Fall Scammers Caught on Tape

INSIDE EDITION has the story of two women authorities say were caught on tape creating a slip and fall scam in a grocery store. 

Cops say two women were attempting a scam that's become an epidemic in store aisles across the country.

It's called "slip and fall," faking an injury on a supposedly slippery floor to collect big bucks. And authorities say they might have gotten away with it except for one thing.

A surveillance video.

Bruce Torino, an insurance fraud expert, says slip and fall scams are flourishing in these tough economic times.

"The epidemic is increasing, because those individuals who face economic hardship are now considering this as an alternate avenue of employment," said Torino.

There are other slip and fall scammers caught on tape across the country, like a man taking what looks like a nasty spill in an Atlanta supermarket.  But he actually poured soda on the floor, walked away, and then slipped and fell.

Another man in a New Jersey supermarket was supposedly getting a salad, but he carefully placed a lettuce leaf on the floor and went flying.  

A woman staged what looked like a very convincing fall. But afterwards, she was seen using a spray bottle to pour liquid on the floor to make the accident look more authentic.

"It's amazing how often it is that there's something nefarious going on," said Torino.

The police report for the two women in Florida says they demanded $300,000 from the drugstore for phony injuries.

Johnella Howard, the woman who "fell," is 72. And her alleged accomplice is Howard's own caregiver, Susan Snow, age 68. Both face grand theft, fraud and conspiracy charges.

If convicted for the one phony slip-up, they could face as much as 35 years in jail.