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 Ted Hlynsky, Vice-President Claims Control and Safety Operations with 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: 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.
“This financial figure is based on an estimate of money recovered and fraudulent claims denied,” said Hlynsky. “This fraud savings is 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 and bodily injury.
“The combination of proactive anti-fraud strategies and raising people’s awareness will assist in reducing auto insurance fraud and identifying the individuals who commit this crime.”
Hlynsky explained that Manitoba Public Insurance’s moving forward philosophy is aimed specifically at keeping a step ahead of fraudsters. The SIU will investigate about 3,000 claims yearly.
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).
