By TRACEY DRURY
tdrury@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1609

Insurance fraud is up statewide, according to first-quarter figures released by the state Insurance Department.

The frauds bureau recorded 211 arrests during the first quarter of 2011, up from 178 during the same period last year and 172 in 2009.

The number of criminal convictions obtained by prosecutors in the cases totaled 120 between January and March, compared with 106 for the same period last year.

The arrests and convictions followed joint investigations by the frauds bureau, local law enforcement and members of the insurance industry.

A total of 6,182 reports of suspected fraud were received by the bureau during the first quarter of 2011, up from 6,136 in the same period in 2010.