Number of suspicious claims “at an all-time” high during COVID: RSA
April 6, 2021 by Jason ContantEven though claims volume has significantly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of claims flagged for possible fraud investigation remains comparable to pre-pandemic levels, RSA told Canadian Underwriter last week. “From RSA’s perspective… this indicates [claims] with concerning loss…
COVID’s impact on insurance fraud
March 25, 2021 by Jason ContantFraudsters are taking advantage of anxieties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic to exploit victims in the Canadian P&C insurance space in novel ways, speakers said during a fraud webinar Wednesday. For example, some body shops are charging drivers extra cleaning…
Three ways of reducing your client’s risk of false slip-and-fall claims
January 11, 2021 by Greg MeckbachInstalling video systems, keeping an eye out for obstructions on the property and asking claimants for all names they have used in the past are among the techniques your clients can use to protect themselves from fraudulent slip-and-fall claims. Slip…
How an insurer became embroiled in this body shop’s lawsuit against an auto dealer
January 6, 2021 by Greg MeckbachA collision repair centre is suing an auto dealership firm that stopped referring work to it amid unproven allegations that the body shop submitted false or fabricated invoices to Aviva Canada, recent Ontario court documents show. In 2013, a firm…
What happened to this therapist who was convicted of insurance fraud
November 17, 2020 by Greg MeckbachAn Ajax, Ont. woman who billed claimants and insurers for therapy services that were never performed has lost her bid to appeal her criminal convictions to the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2008, a motor vehicle accident victim went to…
Why this client can only recover $50,000 on a $2.7-million commercial crime claim
October 16, 2020 by Greg MeckbachAn electronics distributor that lost nearly $2.7-million because its accounts payable staff were duped by fraudsters cannot claim under policy wording covering funds transfer fraud, a Quebec court has ruled. In Future Electronics Inc. (Distribution) Pte Ltd. v. Chubb Insurance…
Fraud schemes that financially-strapped clients may be considering
July 14, 2020 by Greg MeckbachSome consumers who owe money on vehicle loans during the COVID-19 pandemic may be tempted to make false auto theft claims, an independent adjuster warns. “Insureds who are desperate for money may have the vehicle stolen and burned to ensure…
COVID-related fraud schemes that IBC has observed
June 2, 2020 by Greg MeckbachFour vehicles were reported stolen to separate insurers, from the same driveway, on the same night in Brampton, Ont. This is just one example of alleged fraud identified shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Insurance Bureau of…
Pandemic insurance fraud: What to watch for…
May 25, 2020 by Greg MeckbachInflated auto towing and storage claims and arson are among the risks the industry faces from the economic downturn and social distancing arising from the pandemic, a fraud and data analytics expert warns. “A legitimate accident may happen and [a…
Why phone evidence fell short in this triple-collision fraud lawsuit
January 7, 2020 by Greg MeckbachAn insurer suspicious about a vehicle accident obtains evidence that the occupants of the different vehicles were talking by phone to one another. But without knowing exactly who was talking and what the vehicle occupants were talking about, this type…
Why artificial intelligence should be able to detect auto fraud
October 7, 2019 by Greg MeckbachArtificial intelligence can make it nearly impossible for fraudsters to make a false claim appear real, the founder of an A.I. vendor suggests. If an auto insurance claim is fraudulent, A.I. software could pick up on that as long as…
How good are estimates of industry-wide insurance fraud?
September 20, 2019 by Greg MeckbachInsurers really don’t know how much money fraud is costing them. “In Ontario, we have to rely on other jurisdictions to try and quantify it because we are so lousy at it,” said Gordon Rasbach, former vice president of property…