For the first time in the UK, a leading insurer is now using techniques to combat increasing fraudulent claims in the form of lie detection. The company that specialises in car insurance will be targeting claims for vehicle theft where the value is less than £5,000. This is due to the increasing number of these claims where it is believed that owners are simply “hiding” their car then reporting it stolen.
The company will use cognitive interviewing, a technique used by the police, in which variations in the tone of our voice are measured to detect minor changes that occur when we are under stress which could mean that the interviewee is not telling the truth.
If the interview detects a possible inaccuracy in what is being declared on the claim then the insurance company will look into it further. Hopefully they will reduce the number of fraudulent claims and, if proved successful, I’m sure this could be the norm with all types of insurance including public liability insurance and landlords insurance.
This is a win win situation for everyone as less fake claims means insurance companies are paying out less money which ultimately leads to lower insurance premiums for the rest of us. The owner loser here is the fraudster when they get reported to the police instead of their “stolen” car!