In most jurisdictions, you can report life insurance fraud by either contacting law enforcement, making an anonymous report through a nonprofit organization, or notifying the investigation unit of the affected insurance agency. Most countries rely heavily on the insurance industry to provide indemnification against catastrophic loss across many facets of life and business. This type of protection is a key factor in keeping an economy stable. Legislatures around the world have made insurance fraud a statutory crime because it destabilizes the system, making insurance more expensive for everyone.
Life insurance fraud can take a number of forms. The most obvious is when someone with a policy fakes their own death so a family member or third party can collect the proceeds. Other types of fraudulent activity include faking signatures on policies, lying about preexisting conditions, and attempting to hide the true cause of death. A less obvious type of life insurance fraud occurs when insurance agents are in on the scheme, falsifying paperwork and taking out policies on third parties to benefit themselves and their confederates.
Insurance fraud is a crime in most jurisdictions. Law enforcement agencies typically set up a specific department called an insurance fraud bureau to investigate instances of suspected fraud. To report life insurance fraud to law enforcement, contact the fraud bureau for the local authorities. If there isn't a specific fraud bureau, make a report to any law enforcement official. The police will determine whether your information supports an arrest or prosecution.
In some countries, individual insurance agencies have banded together to provide support for the establishment of a nonprofit organization with a mandate to educate the public about the negative affects of insurance fraud and provide a way for people to report suspected fraud anonymously. In the UK, for example, the Insurance Fraud Bureau is a nonprofit with the backing of various insurance agencies. It maintains a telephone “Cheatline” that the public can call to report insurance fraud. Look for the nonprofit organization that supports the industry in your jurisdiction to report life insurance fraud anonymously.
Most insurance agencies maintain their own fraud investigation unit. If you suspect life insurance fraud against a specific company, you can contact the company's investigation unit and make a report. You can typically find all of the information for making a report on the company's website. The company might even reward you for making the report if it leads to a significant bust.
