Reporting insurance fraud, a dilemma?

Concealing information, or lying, when applying for insurance

Insurers ask acceptance questions when applying for insurance. These questions are intended to determine whether they will accept or reject an insurance application. Examples of underwriting questions are:

• Have you ever been disqualified from driving?
• Has an insurance company ever cancelled or refused your insurance before?
• Have you, as a suspect, been in contact with the police or justice system during the past eight years?

These questions must be answered truthfully. The reasons for lying are of course obvious, the lies increase the chance of acceptance. When someone cannot take out an insurance with a regular insurance company, this means paying a higher premium elsewhere anyway. Not answering acceptance questions honestly falls under insurance fraud.

Causing damage intentionally

Intentionally causing damage in order to obtain compensation is a common occurrence. For example, the staging of a collision, deliberately hitting a pole with the car, or even a robbery. If you suspect that someone has deliberately caused a loss, you can always report this, after which the insurer will launch an investigation into insurance fraud.

Claiming more damage than is actually there

The people who are guilty of this have actually suffered a loss, only they add to it. Think of claiming more than was stolen during a burglary, or claiming old damage to a car as new damage after an accident. It can be seen as a little extra, the insurance company has to pay out an amount anyway. Why not increase that amount with a few additional items? These two types of fraud are the most common.

Lying about damage suffered or distorting facts

Reporting a claim to the insurer when there is actually something else going on. For example, reporting a lost phone as stolen, or reporting a car that is just parked out of sight as stolen. What also happens is that people make a second attempt. Where a claim was first rejected on the basis of the policy conditions, they submit the claim again but with a different story that does fall within the cover. The result is that the insurer has to pay out after all.

How do I report insurance fraud?

If you think you recognise insurance fraud, you can report it (anonymously) to the Insurance Fraud Control Centre (CBV) of the Dutch Association of Insurers. The purpose of the CBV is to help insurers combat insurance fraud. The e-mail address is: [email protected] but you can also contact us by telephone on number: 070-3338500.