FRAUDS INVOLVING ARSON

• NCJ Number: 65315
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 18 pages
• Corporate Author: International Criminal Police Organization
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: France
• Note: REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE 45TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION, ACCRA, GHANA, OCTOBER 14-20, 1976, BY GENERAL SECRETARIAT

Annotation

THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICE ORGANIZATION (INTERPOL) LAUNCHED A MULTINATIONAL STUDY IN 1975 TO ANALYZE ARSON COMMITTED OR COMMISSIONED BY INSURED PROPERTY OWNERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAUDING INSURANCE COMPANIES.

Abstract

A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS SENT TO ALL INTERPOL NATIONAL CENTRAL BUREAUS TO GATHER THE INFORMATION. THE REPLIES TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE WERE RECEIVED BY 52 COUNTRIES. UNDER THE CRIMINAL LAWS OF MOST COUNTRIES, IT IS A PUNISHABLE OFFENSE TO DELIBERATELY BURN ANOTHER PERSON'S PROPERTY OR TO BURN ONE'S OWN PROPERTY SO AS TO DAMAGE ANOTHER'S PROPERTY OR PERSON. HOWEVER, WITH REGARD TO THE DELIBERATE DESTRUCTION OF ONE'S OWN PROPERTY TO THE DETRIMENT OF NO VICTIM OTHER THAN THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO BE DEFRAUDED, THE REPORT REVEALS THAT THE NUMBER OF COUNTRIES WHERE STATISTICAL DATA ON SUCH OFFENSES IS AVAILABLE IS VERY LIMITED; THEREFORE, SUCH OFFENSES APPARENTLY DO NOT REPRESENT A PROBLEM FOR POLICE IN THE LARGE MAJORITY OF COUNTRIES. NOR DO THEY REPRESENT A PROBLEM FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES SINCE THE LATTER HAVE ONLY RARELY FOUND IT NECESSARY TO CREATE NATIONAL-LEVEL CENTRAL FILES WHICH WOULD MAKE IT EASIER TO DETECT ANY ATTEMPTED FRAUDS. IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT IN CANADA, WHERE THERE IS A CENTRALIZED DATA SYSTEM, LOSSES RESULTING FROM SUCH OFFENSES ARE BY FAR THE HIGHEST OF ALL LOSSES INCURRED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANIES. MEANWHILE, AUSTRALIA COMMENTED THAT SINCE INSURANCE POLICY-HOLDERS' PROPERTY IS ALWAYS UNDERINSURED, IT IS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE A PROFIT BY DESTROYING ONE'S OWN PROPERTY. THUS THE MOTIVE FOR SUCH OFFENSES--PROFIT--DISAPPEARS. THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT INTERPOL SHOULD BE USED TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION INTERNATIONALLY. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT THE NATIONAN CENTRAL BUREAU SEND THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT ANY INFORMATION THEY OBTAIN ABOUT PARTICULAR MODUS OPERANDI INVOLVING ARSON OR INSURANCE FRAUDS, AND THAT THE BUREAUS EXCHANGE INFORMATION ON PERSONS COMMITTING SUCH OFFENSES IF THOSE PERSONS ARE LIKELY TO TRAVEL ABROAD. TWO APPENDIXES CONTAIN STATISTICS ON FRAUDS INVOLVING ARSON AND ATTEMPTED ARSON FOR THE RESPONDING COUNTRIES. (MJW)