Resources

Insurance crime always has a victim. March is Fraud Prevention Month and an ideal time to raise awareness about the work the insurance industry is doing to protect honest, hardworking Canadians from insurance crime and fraud. On behalf of their members, Équité Association is fighting to stop insurance crime in its tracks through centralized detection, recovery and prevention efforts.

Équité Association and the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO) are both committed to protecting Canadians on behalf of the insurance industry. This is why we are collaborating to increase public awareness about the seriousness of insurance fraud and how ghost brokers facilitate that fraud.

A staged collision is insurance fraud that puts innocent drivers, and their passengers, at risk. In some cases, the drivers of both vehicles collide intentionally, while in others, the criminal tricks innocent drivers into the crash. In either situation, the risk of injury to other road users is significant, while taxpayers are on the hook for the emergency responders, hospital care, police and clean-up efforts. With 54% of Canadians still living pay cheque to pay cheque (2022 BDO Canada Affordability Index), we need to prevent situations where money is redirected from families and into the pockets of criminals as a result of insurance crime.

When it comes to auto theft, the best offense is a good defense. In terms of prevention, Équité Association recommends using a layered approach, which consists of four categories: simple steps, anti-theft devices, vehicle immobilizers and tracking devices.

Équité Association maintains Canada’s only cargo theft database with information on stolen trucks, trailers, cargo and heavy equipment. While often an underreported crime, Canadian cargo losses increased by almost 30% in 2022 compared to the previous year. Our cargo theft database provides intelligence to law enforcement through 24/7 secure online access.

Insurance brokers and agents are the trusted and expert face of auto insurance. From breaking down the fine print in documents to providing helpful advice, they are on the frontline when it comes to providing clients with must-have information. This article is a resource for brokers and agents to share with their clients and communities to prevent drivers from becoming a victim of auto insurance fraud.

Every vehicle manufactured in Canada has a unique vehicle identification number (VIN) that can be used to track recalls, insurance registration and the history of the respective vehicle.

Accident benefits fraud is known as a ‘gateway fraud’; it is an entry point for deeply complex and sophisticated financial organized crime networks, and includes synthetic identify fraud, healthcare fraud, and more. These networks are trying to maximize insurance payouts and drain your policy by fraudulently billing for unnecessary assessments or overbilling for procedures not provided to the injured individual.

Insurance crime has real and devastating consequences for those affected by it. Insurance was created to provide a foundation of security, and insurance crime fundamentally undermines this system, compromising our safety and security.

Fraud always has a victim, and criminals typically target those who are the most vulnerable. Accident benefits fraud is known as a ‘gateway fraud’, because is the entry point for deeply complex and sophisticated organized fraud networks, including synthetic identify fraud, healthcare fraud and more.