NCJ Number
122214
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 37 Issue: 8 Dated: (August 1989) Pages: 53-55
Date Published
1989
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Patrol officers, police administration, detectives, and insurance companies must work as a team if insurance fraud is to be effectively addressed.
Abstract
Insurance claims involving a reported crime or traffic accident should involve an interview with the victim by a patrol officer and a comparison of the physical evidence at the crime or accident scene with victim statements. All officer suspicions and observations should be included in the report. Police administration can help expose ongoing fraudulent insurance scams by maintaining records on all persons and items involved in crimes and accidents. Detectives should routinely eliminate the victim as a possible fraud suspect by checking for a financial motive using public records searches. Insurance claims adjusters should be contacted in the initial stages of an investigation. The insured should give a statement to the adjuster and provide a detailed property list. Police should compare this list and the statement obtained by the adjuster to the victim's statement to the police for additional verification.