Protect yourself against insurance fraud
Common fraudulent schemes to be aware of
Fraud schemes can be both opportunistic and premeditated and whether you’re a new driver or someone who has been driving for years, you could be a target!
Opportunistic insurance fraud refers to someone taking advantage of an accident by using false statements to receive extra payment from a claim. Examples include claiming pre-existing vehicle damage, exaggerating injuries from the collision, lying about the condition of a stolen vehicle and making a false claim for something that wasn’t in fact stolen.2
Premeditated insurance fraud on the other hand refers to a pre-planned crime with the goal of submitting a false insurance claim. Examples include staging a collision, making a claim for something that never happened, having a medical facility or mechanic shop charge the insurance company for a service that was never provided or intentionally damaging a vehicle.2
To learn more information about fraudulent schemes, visit our ‘Car insurance fraud schemes’ article.
How you can avoid falling victim to car insurance fraud
Getting into a car accident is stressful enough. Be aware of your surroundings and following these helpful tips so that you don’t fall victim to car insurance fraud.
- Remain calm. Fraudsters will try to take advantage of your vulnerability during this time. Staying calm and having a clear mind will help you to make the right decisions.
- Be aware. Take pictures of any damage to the vehicles involved and anything else that could be important at the scene, such as debris or skid marks.1 This will help you if you need to make a claim. Also, make a mental note of what’s going on around you; how and why did the accident occur, how many people are involved, how are the other people reacting, etc. Keep all of this in mind when filing a police report or an insurance claim.
- File a report. If you witness or have been the victim of insurance fraud, you can file a report with your local police, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 and/or the Insurance Bureau of Canada at 1-877-IBC-TIPS (422-8477).2
To get a quote for car insurance, call an OTIP broker today at 1-866-561-5559. If you have questions about your current car insurance policy held with OTIP, or suspect that you might be a victim of insurance fraud, call your OTIP broker at 1-800-267-6847.
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