The Personal - Reporting Auto Insurance Fraud

People following the news in Canada over the last few years know that auto insurance fraud has become a serious problem throughout the country, particularly in the Toronto area. What they may not know, however, is how to report auto insurance fraud when it presents itself.

With these people in mind, the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud (CAIF) offers several tips people should remember when reporting fraud, including who to report the incident to.

A successful search and prosecution of the person or people involved in fraud largely depends on the amount of information authorities receive regarding the scam. Therefore, when providing information, the CAIF says witnesses should include as much detail as possible, such as dates and times, names, phone numbers, addresses, documents, description of the fraud, the amount of money lost and what company was defrauded.

Even the most detailed description of a fraud incident can take a while to successfully prosecute. As such, the CAIF recommends that people be patient when reporting the incident.

Finally, people should report the scam to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) by calling the IBC's TIPS line or visiting its website and filling out the provided form.

According to the IBC, consumers pay an average of 10 to 15 percent more on their auto insurance premiums because of insurance fraud.