DES PLAINES, Ill., March 25, 2020 — The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is continuing to monitor the impact the coronavirus (COVID-19) is having on consumers, our membership, law enforcement, and our strategic partners. As with all catastrophes, we often see an accompanying influx of insurance fraud cases. Therefore, we know it is essential to be there for you as you navigate through what is likely uncharted territory. That is why we created the NICB COVID-19 Resource Center. Here we will host the latest information concerning emerging fraud scams involving COVID-19 and keep you informed about what is happening in our states from an insurance fraud perspective.
“Catastrophes bring out the good in people. Unfortunately, they also bring out the bad actors that take advantage of the most vulnerable. With the help of our partners, our goal is to use our proven data analytics and investigative abilities to identify those bad actors and help bring them to justice. We should all be on the lookout for crooked physicians, attorneys, and patients attempting to commit insurance fraud by submitting false and exaggerated medical claims. We should also be aware of possible scams involving business interruption, online hackers looking to steal critical personal data, and other efforts to commit insurance fraud. We know these are just a few of the potential scams and we no doubt could see many more in the coming weeks and months,” said NICB President & CEO Joe Wehrle.
NICB remains vigilant and engaged with our law enforcement partners around the nation. We will continue to track potential fraud trends and update the resource center.