NCJ Number
87292
Date Published
1982
Length
215 pages
Annotation
A study of insurance fraud in the home, vacation home, and auto insurance categories in Sweden used data from 1981 police records of reported crime and self-reports of persons interviewed across the country.
Abstract
Self-report statistics indicate that the percentage of insurance money claimed illegally goes significantly beyond the 10 percent of all claims reported by insurance companies. The study also indicated that insurance fraud was relatively easy to commit without detection, and that interviewees did not perceive it as necessarily wrong and less wrong than, for example, tax fraud. All social classes participated in the crime, and insurance fraud did not appear to be limited to marginal or isolated groups within society. Despite this, certain groups were more likely to be suspected by police of insurance fraud: those with criminal convictions and foreigners. The crime does not appear to be one of motive but rather one of opportunity. Control of insurance fraud is partly the responsibility of the criminal justice system in Sweden and partly the responsibility of the insurance companies. However, very few, fraud cases come to the attention of authorities, and even fewer ever go to court. The insurance companies' policies play a central role in determining the disposition of perpetrators. They directly influence control through their regulations, intercompany relations and controls, competitive strategies, and relationships with customers.