How this type of client is reducing fraud risk
May 17, 2019 by Greg MeckbachBiometrics and two-factor authentication will become more popular tactics for mitigating cyber crime risk, a British Columbia credit union executive predicts. “I feel like I do a lot of biometrics,” said Marilyn Mauritz, chief transformation and governance officer at Vancouver-based…
Why liability and reputational risk is changing
May 15, 2019 by Greg MeckbachTechnology is making it easier for consumers and businesses to move money, but it can also create new liability risks, fraud experts warned Tuesday. “Financial institutions really have to think about their position on liability,” said Jas Anand, senior manager…
Insurer pushing for new auto fraud laws
December 5, 2018 by Greg MeckbachA major insurer is calling for new laws prohibiting various forms of auto insurance fraud in Ontario. “As an industry we need a new set of provincial offences that will allow for the efficient and effective prosecution of fraud,” said…
How often are people scamming insurers with cheque fraud?
November 14, 2018 by Jason ContantInsurance fraud is again in the news, after a Moncton, N.B. man was sentenced to 30 days in prison and 18 months probation for illegally intercepting two insurance cheques sent to an Aviva Canada insured. Just how prevalent is cheque…
How cell phone records proved this insurer’s auto fraud case
September 26, 2018 by David GambrillCell phone records proved to be the deciding factor in an insurance fraud case in which a B.C. driver falsely claimed that his truck had been stolen. Parker Winterbottom, 22 at the time, reported to police in October 2011 that…
How blockchain can help fight insurance fraud
September 24, 2018 by Jason ContantBlockchain for insurance has various oft-touted benefits – reduced costs and simpler and faster transactions, among them – but it can also be used to combat fraud, said David Verbeeten, a domain expert in insurance at software company ConsenSys. Verbeeten…
What to do about clients who lie about their address
September 19, 2018 by Jason ContantIf an insurer has proof a claimant is committing address fraud, there are several weapons they have in their arsenal to fight it, an insurance lawyer said Tuesday. The first thing the insurer should do is ask the underwriting department…
The ‘Big Three’ indicators of address fraud
September 18, 2018 by Jason ContantInsurers looking to verify a claimant’s address should focus on bank, credit card and cellphone records, an insurance defence lawyer said Tuesday. Andrew Grayson, a lawyer specializing in insurance defence litigation with Regan Desjardins LLP, called those records the “Big…
Auto fraud getting worse, insurer says
August 21, 2018 by Greg MeckbachManitoba Public Insurance Corporation (MPI) is reporting an increase in auto insurance fraud, including false claims for income replacement benefits. “Disturbingly, the corporation’s special investigation unit is seeing an increase in fraudulent activity,” the province’s public auto insurer reported Friday.…
New discount proposed for claimants who use insurers’ accredited body shops
March 13, 2018 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorIn the wake of an undercover investigation that allegedly caught collision repair centres deliberately damaging vehicles, Aviva Canada is pushing for discounts for vehicle owners who agree to use an insurer’s accredited body shop. Such a discount would require a…
Industry response to auto reform: Spotlight on fraud centre
December 5, 2017 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorOntario’s move to establish a new Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which would help crack down on auto insurance fraud, is widely — if cautiously — praised as a step in the right direction by the province’s property and casualty industry.…
Ontario targets auto fraud with new prosecutors’ team
December 5, 2017 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorAuto insurance fraudsters are the target of a team of new and dedicated prosecutors and investigators announced by the Ontario government Wednesday. The province said it plans to set up in the spring of 2018 what it calls the Serious…