If fighting fraud were made into a comic book, it might look something like this. An injustice, such as vehicle theft, has occurred. The victim calls out for help. In the near distance, the good guys come to save the day. All is set right and ends well in the world – in theory.
In reality, despite their extraordinary dedication and commitment, even fraud fighters sometimes get the blues. In the ongoing saga of fighting fraud, the "good guys" of this epic tale are fraud fighters and those of us who stand up to villains. Villains are those who participate in and perpetrate fraud schemes. But unlike Superman, The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman or other famed heroes, our powers, more suitably deemed abilities, aren't extraordinary at all or the result of some scientific mishap or cosmic occurrence. Rather, they are earned responsibilities undertaken as a result of what each of us embraces and upholds.
Some days we win, and some days we lose. By win, I mean that we stop criminals from being able to further victimize the public. And by lose, I mean when the criminals are able to continue to perpetrate more fraudulent schemes. Sometimes we make headlines for taking down criminal enterprises and other illegal operations. And sometimes, the good that we do goes completely unnoticed or acknowledged by the public. Dare I say fraud fighters are sometimes even viewed as the villains or vilified for their efforts? It's all part of the landscape. But sometimes, even the most ardent fraud fighter has probably asked himself or herself if it's ever enough. Will this battle ever end? Why do the schemes and crimes just continue to become more and more abysmal and shocking?
Fraud isn't just about padding a claim to get additional funds from an insurer. It's also about people who are senselessly injured or killed by criminals staging vehicle accidents. It's about residents of a community or employees of a company who suffer the consequences from an act of arson. It's about the person who loses their life when a criminal purposely causes them harm to collect on a life insurance policy. The list of heinous schemes goes on and on. And the more battles that a fraud fighter encounters, the more disheartening and appalling the scenarios and schemes will inevitably become.
It would be trite to end this story with a cliché comic book expression such as "And as the public sleeps for the night, they can rest easy knowing that their heroes keep a watchful eye." That can never be the case as long as opportunists and greed abound. They are at the root of fraud. But all is not lost. Just as new villains emerge each day, so too shall new fraud fighters. It's the person who reports fraud or suspicious activity. It's the person who questions their provider about a procedure that seems medically unnecessary. Whatever the case, joining the fight against fraud will not entail having to wear a cape,
leaping tall buildings, or travelling faster than a speeding bullet. One need only subscribe to the belief that fraud must be defeated whenever and wherever it exists.