March is Fraud Prevention Month and Manitoba Public Insurance is dedicated to reducing this crime and educating Manitobans on how they can assist in keeping auto insurance premiums low.
“We’re encouraging Manitobans to come forward and speak out against auto insurance fraud,” said MaryAnn Kempe, vice-president, Community and Corporate Affairs, Manitoba Public Insurance.
“The Corporation has a dedicated TIPS Line, which is a valuable source of information for our investigators. Auto insurance fraud, if undetected, has an impact on all honest Manitobans.”
Manitoba Public Insurance’s TIPS Line is: 204-985-8477 or toll-free 1-877-985-8477. All calls are anonymous. All suspicious claims are handled by Manitoba Public Insurance’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU). The efforts of this special unit resulted in fraud savings last year of more than $9 million for Manitoba auto insurance rate payers. The SIU will investigate about 3,000 claims yearly.
“This financial figure is based on an estimate of money recovered and fraudulent claims denied,” said Kempe. “These fraud savings are the direct result of Manitoba’s public auto insurer focusing on all aspects of auto insurance fraud, be it organized groups, vehicle fires, hit and run or bodily injury.”
Kempe explained that Manitoba Public Insurance’s continually reviews its anti-fraud strategies, specifically aimed at keeping step with fraudsters.
Insurance fraud – automobile, home or health care – costs Canadians more than $3 billion a year in insurance premiums, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. Organizations around the world lose an estimated five percent of their annual revenues to fraud, according to a survey of fraud experts conducted by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).
