What Are the Ways to Prevent Car Insurance Claims Fraud?
The car insurance industry has always been facing big challenges to prevent car insurance claims fraud over the years. A lot of efforts are being put in to manage the issue and in recent years, things have changed for the better after numerous implementations to improve the situation. However, more preventive measurements can be done and below are some of the ways you need to be aware to prevent car insurance claims scam in the process.
Install a car camera
By setting up a car camera on your car dashboard, you can record footage of accidents. This can be very useful for you while making insurance claims. Video evidence can help your insurer to determine who exactly was responsible for the accident. This can be very useful for realizing cases of fraud. If you are fortunate, you can also catch the license plate number and even the faces of the responsible party.
Opt for a GIFT Reward Scheme
The GIA Insurance Fraud Tip-Off (GIFT) scheme is an initiative by the General Insurance Association (GIA) of Singapore. It encourages scam victim motorists to earn monetary rewards by assisting in investigating scammers. However, only when an offender is caught, the reward is given. As much as S$10,000 is awarded to those reporting insurance fraud to GIA.
If you want to be eligible for this award, you need to be able to offer insider details about the fraud syndicate or some important data that can be useful for legal authorities to nab the fraudsters.
Bodily injury
Avoid any third party to encourage you to see a doctor to claims for injury even though you are not injured especially when they ask you to go a specific clinic, they assign you to go. They will most likely have a backend arrangement with the clinic and you might be part of the scam to make a big claim against the third-party insurance company.
If you are really injured, go to your usual GP or specialist to do the necessary checkup and present all the findings or bills that you incurred due to the accident when it led to claim against the third party.
Report your case
If there is any third party who appears right after you had an accident, do not engage in any conversation with them and if they insist, you should let them know that the police are on their way and you have already informed your insurance agent to arrange the necessary. The purpose of doing so is to prevent them from harassing you further and worst case getting into a claims fraud that they have stage.
What you should do next is to do the reporting within 24 working hours to any of the car insurers reporting center cum Authorized workshop. You should also seek your agent advise on the claims to protect your interest and if it is your fault how you can do a private settlement with third party so that it will not affect your No Claims Discount for the next renewal.
