Insurance fraud occurs all around us, and it costs each one of us on our insurance premiums. Although the majority of the fraud may take place in urban areas with staged accidents and other types of creative methods, it also occurs in our own backyards. Some people may not intentionally create a claim, but when one occurs, they tend to stretch it a bit. Claims are sometimes put in for damages that were already there when an accident should happen, or others may add some items that were broken, or they never even had when a theft occurs. People may claim for injuries that they never actually sustained, or at least not to the extent that they let on. Although they may seem innocent enough, these claims do add to the total cost, and this cost is passed on to other clients like you and me in the form of increased premiums.
Fraud can also occur by those other than an individual. Fraud also occurs by those in the business of making repairs to your home or vehicle, or by those in the medical field. No matter who is committing it or how, fraud costs all of us.
If you see insurance fraud occurring, please report it anonymously to the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Insurance Crime Division at 1-877-IBC-TIPS (422-8477), or to your local crime stoppers organization.
