Tag: fraud
10 Tips for Asking Effective Investigative Interview Questions
When communicating with others, asking questions seems to be the least often used skill. This happens for many reasons; we do not want to appear uninformed, overbearing or overly challenging in our quest for the truth. Quite simply, asking questions and pairing them with effective listening skills prevents us from “jumping the gun” or filling [...]
Social Networking and the Claims Investigation
Back when many of us began our careers investigating claims, we did it the old fashioned way… There was no internet, cell phones were the size of suitcases and e-mail had yet to replace inter-office memos. But somehow, we managed to get by using the relatively scarce resources available at the time. The key to [...]
When They’re Not Accidents – Investigating Automobile Collisions
Most people refer to a vehicle collision as an accident. However, since there is liability associated with an accident, the term seems to be a misnomer. It is so common to refer to it as an accident that investigators in this field are often referred to as accident reconstructionists. If it is an accident, this [...]
How to Conduct an Effective Sub Rosa Investigation
Sub Rosa is a term we use so often in the Workers’ Compensation community that it is surprising how many do not know the original meaning. Sub Rosa is a Latin term meaning “under the rose”. The rose, a beautiful flower used to express love, is also the symbol of secrecy. In fact, in ancient [...]
All Investigations Lead to… Porn?
It all started with a joke… “All investigations seem to lead to pornography,” quipped Ryan Hubbs, a senior manager for Matson, Driscoll & Damico, Forensic Accountants, chatting with a group of colleagues at an ACFE conference a few years ago. Hubbs had spotted an odd pattern. Time after time, as he investigated claims of contractor [...]
Command Presence and Providing Efforts that Obtain Results
Obtaining successful results during a claims investigation or surveillance is dependent on the expertise and leadership of the professional investigator. Even though the client has the final say in scheduling, extending or reducing the number of days of surveillance and authorizing multiple investigators, the investigator should always posture themselves as the expert or specialist in [...]
Top 40 Red Flags which May Indicate Workers’ Compensation Fraud
Claims adjusters look for the presence of red flags in workers’ compensation (WC) claims to determine whether or not a claim is legitimate. Red flags consist of particular conditions or behaviors commonly found in fraudulent claims. While the primary responsibility of recognizing red flags lies with both employers and claims adjusters. Private investigators should at [...]
API Podcast: New Legislation, Investigating Financial Fraud and Events
In the May 2010 podcast of The American Private Investigator with your host, Paul Jaeb, Peter Psarouthakis of ISPLA talks about the status of legislation addressing Caller ID spoofing and the use of video surveillance. He discusses what investigators can do to stay involved as bills move through the house and senate. Nicole Bocra talks [...]
