NCJ Number
143547
Journal
Security Management Volume: 37 Issue: 7 Dated: (July 1993) Pages: 91-94
Date Published
1993
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Although no comprehensive study of losses in the insurance industry has been conducted, best estimates indicate that 15 percent or more of all insurance premiums are lost to fraud; with yearly premiums exceeding $200 billion, this amount could produce $30 billion a year in fraudulent claims.
Abstract
Insurance companies often find it easier to pay fraudulent claims as long as such claims do not reach unacceptable proportions. Nonetheless, many companies have developed special investigation units (SIU's) that handle fraudulent claims. Studies indicate that SIU's recover $10 for every dollar spent in an investigation. The dramatic rise in insurance fraud has led several States to create government agencies specifically addressing fraud. The common goal of these agencies is to detect and deter insurance fraud. Most fraudulent automobile claims are made by people who pad legitimate accident claims to cover their deductible or make a little easy money. Four basic kinds of accident schemes exist: caused accident, intended accident, staged accident, and paper accident. Fraudulent burglaries and thefts represent the most popular form of insurance fraud, and fraudulent documents are usually used to perpetrate property and casualty fraud. This article also examines indicators of fraudulent activity.