What is the Insurance Fraud Hotline?
The Insurance Fraud Hotline is a centralised reporting tool for the Australian community to report what they believe, in good faith, is insurance fraud. We are Australian-owned and based and operate privately and independently from any other public or private sector entity. Our mission is to engage and empower the Australian community in the fight against insurance fraud by providing the means to report it via our secure website or hotline service.
What do you do with the information that you receive?
We collate the information so that it can be accessed by the appropriate personnel in insurance companies and associations across Australia. These organisations are responsible for identifying their own cases and actioning them if required. The Insurance Fraud Hotline acts as an information service only and does not conduct any investigations.
Why was the Insurance Fraud Hotline created?
We identified the need for an Australia-wide reporting tool that could receive tip-offs about all kinds of suspected insurance fraud, which could then be redirected to the correct recipient on behalf of the informer. The Insurance Fraud Hotline is a reporting tool that is especially useful for people who want to report suspected insurance fraud but do not know who the insurer is. It is also a service independent from any particular insurance company or association.
Why do we need the Insurance Fraud Hotline, when other hotlines exist?
The Insurance Fraud Hotline is not designed to compete with the fraud reporting hotlines or websites already operated by other bodies in Australia. Rather, it is a free-to-market tool that is both a value-add to the insurance industry and which further assists the fraud fighting efforts of the Australian community.
The Insurance Fraud Hotline is particularly useful if: (a) you do not know who the insurer is; (b) the insurer is outside the scope of the Insurance Council of Australia, or similar organisations; and (c) you would prefer to report to an organisation that is 'independent' of the insurance industry.
What makes the Insurance Fraud Hotline different?
We have the capability to receive tip-offs on suspected insurance fraud of all kinds. People who submit information to us do not have to know which insurer or organisation requires the information.
Our reporting form is custom built to encourage information from the informant in such a way that preserves privacy and integrity, while providing the recipient (the insurance company or organisation) with the best possible platform on which to act. We are totally impartial in our method of distribution.
The Insurance Fraud Hotline also includes features that most, if not all, hotlines and websites currently in Australia do not offer, such as secure data capture for pictures, videos and scanned documents.
Can I remain anonymous?
Yes, you can choose to keep your anonymity when using our Report Suspected Fraud form. If you choose to supply your name and contact details as a tip-off provider, rest assured that it will be kept strictly in confidence and retained only for historical reasons. Supplying your details also makes it easier for us to contact you if more information is needed.
What happens to my tip-off information?
When you fill in the form fields and hit the 'Submit' button, your submission is issued with a case number, and your information goes directly to our secure database at the Insurance Fraud Hotline. Your job is done. We compile your tip-off information in a report that makes it easy and efficient for those who need it to identify and access the information.
Can I find out what happens to my tip-off information after I've submitted it?
Once you have submitted the information, there is no access provided to you through the Insurance Fraud Hotline to discover the progress of your report or the action that an insurer might take. However, the Insurance Fraud Hotline team might contact you for more information at some stage, if you have indicated that you're happy for that to happen. We also offer the facility for you to make further submissions on the same case if you have any more information, using the designated case number.
What if I don't believe in 'dobbing' on people?
Most Australians are honest, but some people in the community try to cheat or 'rort' insurance companies. The Insurance Fraud Hotline is helping Australians to report on insurance cheats and people intent on playing 'the blame game'. We urge all Australians to use this service - because the buck stops with each and everyone one of us. Perhaps think of it this way: most people would not watch someone burgling a house and let them get away with it. We want to help people report insurance crime.
Will my information really help?
A KPMG Forensic Advisory survey on fraud in 2008 categorically states: "Anonymous reporting systems are crucial to the detection of fraud". If you know someone who is fabricating their insurance claim, we urge you to report it! Why should the rest of us spend money on higher premiums to cover the dishonest claims of a few? Insurance fraud is one reason the annual premiums of Australian insurance policyholders have risen, on average, by as much as $400 per family per year, or $100 per compulsory third party premium.
Who is Anthony Callaghan, founder of the Insurance Fraud Hotline?
Anthony Callaghan is an advocate of the insurance fraud investigations industry. He is passionate about fighting insurance fraud and believes that information about potentially illegal and/or fraudulent activity should be taken seriously. To read more about Anthony Callaghan, please view his biography.