Focus on Insurance
The Insurance Crime Bureau is South Africa’s only not-for-profit organisation that is able to support investigations, communication and information sharing between law enforcement agencies and the insurance industry.
Working together to detect and prevent insurance policy fraud
As a not-for-profit organisation, The Insurance Crime Bureau is solely dedicated to leading a united effort against fraud in insurance companies, particularly organised crime syndicates that target multiple carriers simultaneously.
The Insurance Crime Bureau is supported by law enforcement agencies and various industry partners to give our member companies the benefit of full access to fraud detection and prevention capabilities, including data analytics, insurance fraud investigations, insurance fraud training, as well as public awareness campaigns.
If your company has a commitment to combatting insurance fraud, becoming a member of The Insurance Crime Bureau will enhance your fraud-fighting efforts in many ways. In addition to vehicle theft, we focus on medical fraud, homeowners’ claims and life insurance fraud.
The Insurance Crime Bureau’s operational activities include:
- Management and monitoring of the insurance industry Fraudline
- Project management of insurance fraud investigations on personal, commercial, life and health insurance
- Providing consultation to the SAPS during covert operations and investigative projects
- Vehicle crime fighting initiatives in partnership with the SAPS
- Pound clean up initiatives
- Automated Number Plate recognition system
- Cloned vehicle operations
- Bait car operations
- Providing an on-demand enquiry service to member companies
Why Insurance Crime Bureau Membership?
When battling insurance crimes, we strongly believe that the insurance industry needs to work together rather than acting in isolation as individual companies. The Insurance Crime Bureau is, and always has been, a membership-based organisation that relies on the support, trust and partnership of insurance companies, law enforcement agencies and related stakeholders nationwide. In turn, we offer extensive resources as well as comprehensive insurance fraud detection and investigation services to our members to help them enhance their fraud-fighting capabilities.
Member Benefits
Investigative Resources
While other companies may be able to identify fraud within a single company, The Insurance Crime Bureau’s unique multi-carrier approach and technology allows us to more effectively detect organised crime rings that target multiple organisations simultaneously.
While other companies may be able to identify fraud within a single company, The Insurance Crime Bureau’s unique multi-carrier approach and technology allows us to more effectively detect organised crime rings that target multiple organisations simultaneously.
Task Force Coordination
By leading investigative task forces, we allow member companies to become actively involved with The Insurance Crime Bureau, law enforcement and prosecutors in operations that target large-scale fraud and theft cases.
By leading investigative task forces, we allow member companies to become actively involved with The Insurance Crime Bureau, law enforcement and prosecutors in operations that target large-scale fraud and theft cases.
Fraud Data Analytics
Through specialised software capabilities acquired through business analytics software provider, SAS, which enables us to analyse large data sets across multiple insurers, we are able to identify and inform member companies and the law enforcement community of suspicious trends, patterns, entities and syndicates faster.
Through specialised software capabilities acquired through business analytics software provider, SAS, which enables us to analyse large data sets across multiple insurers, we are able to identify and inform member companies and the law enforcement community of suspicious trends, patterns, entities and syndicates faster.
Member Support
The Insurance Crime Bureau offers an on-demand enquiry service exclusive to members in order to assist in the improvement of claims fraud detection abilities.
The Insurance Crime Bureau offers an on-demand enquiry service exclusive to members in order to assist in the improvement of claims fraud detection abilities.
Communication
The Insurance Crime Bureau ensures that we are in constant communication with members; whether it be through daily interactions, electronic news alerts that provide proactive fraud information, or our website which provides detailed updates on our activities.
The Insurance Crime Bureau ensures that we are in constant communication with members; whether it be through daily interactions, electronic news alerts that provide proactive fraud information, or our website which provides detailed updates on our activities.
Vehicle Identification Expertise
The Insurance Crime Bureau has set up a number of vehicle crime fighting initiatives in partnership with the SAPS to help members recover stolen vehicles. These initiatives include: pound clean ups, automated number plate recognition system, cloned vehicle operations and bait car operations.
The Insurance Crime Bureau has set up a number of vehicle crime fighting initiatives in partnership with the SAPS to help members recover stolen vehicles. These initiatives include: pound clean ups, automated number plate recognition system, cloned vehicle operations and bait car operations.
Advocacy
Above all, The Insurance Crime Bureau aims to serve the interests of our members. We work regularly with members, trade groups, legislators and other anti-fraud organisation to devise effective anti-crime strategies that will ultimately benefit our members.
Above all, The Insurance Crime Bureau aims to serve the interests of our members. We work regularly with members, trade groups, legislators and other anti-fraud organisation to devise effective anti-crime strategies that will ultimately benefit our members.
Insurance Members
Associate Members
JP Human - TelesureMy organisation values the services, collaboration and learning provided by the Insurance Crime Bureau, and we view our partnership as a key enabler to our success. Through our partnership with The Insurance Crime Bureau, the industry is much stronger and more capable as a collective in the fight against crime. It makes us proud to be part of an organisation which not only makes a difference in the insurance industry, but also makes a meaningful difference in the lives of the uninsured public on a daily basis. Through this partnership we are able to engage with Government and Law Enforcement and thereby contribute to making South Africa a better and safer country for all.
Cloud Saungweme – BrytePartnering with The Insurance Crime Bureau means that we collaborate with a team that is making a social difference in South Africa. As an industry we are playing a significant role in fighting crime by sharing information to crack down on syndicates. Crime is a social problem that needs involvement from every citizen as well as Government and Law Enforcement Agencies. Educating the public about crime, implementing measures to mitigate against it and returning recovered vehicles to those who are uninsured are areas that also require attention. With criminals and syndicates getting more sophisticated daily, the use of technology and artificial intelligence is the next area of focus for businesses as well as insurers.
Helen du Toit – SantamI am really proud to be part of an industry and organisation that consider the economy in which they operate and society when determining their strategies and focus areas. The insurance industry understands that they can only prosper if South Africa prospers and I am proud of the initiatives we are doing in the funeral and motor industry to reduce and investigate associated crimes.
Gary Slater - Old Mutual InsureOld Mutual Insure fully supports the Insurance Crime Bureau’s passion to eradicate insurance fraud and related crimes in the industry. As a responsible business, we also capitalise on the insights we are exposed to through our partnership; the industry information, trends, potential risks and legislative changes we’re kept abreast of allows us to mitigate the relevant risks sooner, ultimately resulting in value for our overall customer base. As much as we are involved in combating crime, we are also proud to be giving back to the community by helping the un-insured market to recover their vehicles through police pound clean ups, cross border recoveries and the identification of cloned vehicles. With a goal to do great things every day, we are also excited to have gone as far as providing training and assistance to law enforcement to enable the earlier detection of syndicates. These efforts not only boost the industry, but also align well to our purpose of championing the communities we serve to enable positive futures for all South Africans.
Edwin Naicker - Standard Insurance LimitedFighting fraud, crime and corruption in partnership with The Insurance Crime Bureau results in a positive impact for South Africa, by protecting our customers from the criminals who take advantage of the innocent. We are proud to be part of this continuing fight for truth and justice.
Nico Esterhuizen - The South African Insurance AssociationThe Insurance Crime Bureau is a vital strategic stakeholder for The South African Insurance Association (SAIA) in contributing towards the sustainability of the non-life insurance industry. For SAIA the combatting of insurance fraud is a key priority and the Bureau remains our main partner in executing on our mandate.
Burton Naicker - Deputy Chairman of the BoardWe are so much stronger as a team, and the fight against insurance related crime requires a collaborative effort if we wish to make a difference. The Insurance Crime Bureau has helped to facilitate this collaboration not only amongst insurance companies but with various other stakeholders including Government. With the intelligent use of data, we have been able to deter and detect criminal activities thereby minimising the negative impact on society. The activities of The Insurance Crime Bureau further help us as a Country to eradicate criminal and fraudulent behavior by focusing on the insurance sector and influencing other industries to do the same. We are looking forward to another year of partnership and collaboration with The Insurance Crime Bureau.
Thys van Niekerk - Absa InsuranceAccording to STATS SA, there was an estimated 83,000 incidences of motor vehicle thefts in 2018/2019. An estimated 63,000 households that experienced theft of motor vehicles, reported this to the police. Considering this, the active network in which The Insurance Crime Bureau operates both nationally and internationally, and the opportunities that come to Insurance Companies and the insured public as a result, in assisting to recover these vehicles, adds immense value to the wider economy. The further benefit of recovering and identifying uninsured vehicles and handing them back to their owners, is an excellent example of good corporate citizenship. One which we as an organisation and me personally, are extremely proud to be associated with.
Michele Peach - Hollard InsureHollard is proud to be part of an organisation that makes a difference in fighting syndicated insurance crime in South Africa. As a founding member of The Insurance Crime Bureau, we remain committed to its success by ensuring our ongoing support. The Hollard purpose, to enable more people to create and secure a better future, enables us to work hand-in-hand with The Insurance Crime Bureau to mitigate risks for our policyholders. By working with the Government and Law Enforcement Departments, we are also able to protect the uninsured public to retrieve their vehicles from the police pounds.
Burton Naicker - OUTsuranceThe Insurance Crime Bureau has enabled OUTsurance to join forces in the fight against crime! It is a huge motivation to continue as joint forces as we see the positive results in this regard. Elimination of crime within the insurance space remains a priority. Thanks to the Insurance crime bureau for having created the platform to share, consolidate and cross reference data which has been the ultimate driver in crime detection – a possibility made a reality by The Insurance Crime Bureau!
Michele Peach – HollardOrganised crime has no place in the Insurance industry thanks to The Insurance Crime Bureau and its team of dedicated, professional and passionate investigators. The Insurance Crime Bureau has not only, directly and indirectly, saved the Industry as well as its consumers millions of rands by helping to combat organised crime, but they continue to assist Hollard in the identification and subsequent prosecution of these perpetrators.
With the ever-increasing cost of claims, as an organisation we are constantly aware of the need to keep insurance premiums as affordable as possible. By assisting us to root out fraudulent claims, we are able to ensure that the insured’s premium remains competitive and fair, something that we would not necessarily be able to guarantee without the ongoing assistance of organisations such as The Insurance Crime Bureau. It is therefore not only the Insurer who benefits from this pivotal business relationship, but the Insured as well.
It is our opinion that The Insurance Crime Bureau are a significant partner in our ongoing fight against any form of Insurance fraud.
Helen du Toit, Head of Audit & ForensicsCommercial crime has risen to its highest level in the past eight years. According to the 2011 South African Police Services (SAPS) statistics, the percentage of reported commercial crime cases had risen by 58,2% between 2003 and 2011.
Now more than ever, it is imperative that industry stakeholders work together in order to curb commercial crime.
Santam has worked closely with and fully supports the initiatives of The Insurance Crime Bureau as the voice to bring together stakeholders and address the ever increasing impact of commercial crime in the short term insurance industry.
Max Huggins, Head of Claims DepartmentMiWay regard The Insurance Crime Bureau as a critical part of our strategy in the detection and combatting of organised crime, and their many successes since inception show what an important role player they have become.