It is estimated that workers compensation fraud is one of the fastest growing types of insurance fraud crime.
Dishonest claimants may:
- fake their injuries
- exaggerate legitimate injuries, or
- claim for injuries that are pre-existing, or happened outside the workplace
In doing so, they might receive monetary benefits and/or time off work to which they are not actually entitled.
More complex cases
Workers compensation fraud can be complex; involving conspiracies where healthcare providers, lawyers and patients make fraudulent claims, or 'pad' legitimate claims. Supposed back injuries, soft tissue injuries, muscle strains, headaches and workplace-induced stress are popular types of claims.
Many workers compensation cheats are caught out doing second jobs, heavy home repairs, gardening or other tasks that their claimed injury would normally be expected to prevent. Other fraudsters are revealed because they can't resist boasting about "putting one over the boss" or the insurer.
However, many of these fraudulent workers compensation claims remain undetected. They continue costing us all a fortune in lost production, payments to replacement staff and other expenses. They also push up workers compensation premiums and the price of goods and services produced.
As with all insurance fraud, the pocket it ultimately hits is yours .
If you have information that you believe in good faith is insurance fraud, report it NOW!