View this article online: https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/west/2005/03/08/52390.htm
Though most insurance consumers reportedly have only the best of intentions, the small number of people who commit insurance fraud contribute to increases in insurance costs for honest consumers.
In efforts to inform the public and control insurance premiums for
law-abiding citizens, San Francisco-based Esurance, a direct-to-consumer auto insurance company, recently launched its online campaign to help consumers fight fraud.
Located at http://www.esurance.com/insurance/fightfraud.asp , consumers can learn more about recognizing and preventing the problem of insurance fraud. In addition to offering other useful claims-related information, Esurance also informs consumers about how to report potential instances of insurance fraud to Esurance.
Gary Tolman, Esurance president and CEO, stated, “As a company, we take insurance fraud seriously because it’s ultimately an issue of fairness. If left unchecked, fraud can affect the rates honest people pay for auto insurance.”
Esurance sells a large number of policies online, providing the company with very detailed records of transactions that can be used to ferret out fraud when old-fashioned detective work takes place. Tolman described the company’s fraud fighting approach, stating, “When rigorous investigation is combined with the rich archive of data at our disposal, few crooks can escape the dragnet of our Special Investigations Unit.”
Over the last two years, Esurance’s detective work has reportedly resulted in several arrests, some of which have led to jail time. Other penalties include fines ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Of the criminal proceedings that have already resulted from the efforts of Esurance’s Special Investigations Unit, Tolman stated, “Prosecution sends a strong message that Esurance takes a very serious stance on fraud. Thanks to the efforts of our super sleuths, Esurance stops criminal activity from impacting all the honest, hard-working consumers out there.”