This article will help explain the benefits of using surveillance and activity checks if there are any red flags that are raised during workers’ compensation investigation.

At some point most employers/insurance companies have had to deal with a troubled workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury claim. Many think that using an outside source to look into this matter is not a cost effective business procedure. Many think it is a very good idea to use an investigation service to look into the possibility of fraud being committed. There are many different angles you can take to investigate possible insurance fraud. Here are 3 very important measures you can take to see just what is going on out there on a daily basis. • Surveillance • Activity Checks • Background Checks

Surveillance will be the best solution to the problem in most questionable cases. Start with a minimum of two days of surveillance. This will get you a pretty good idea of the claimant’s habits. Does the claimant get out early in the morning and do things outside of their restrictions? Does the claimant seem to sleep in and remain at home the majority of the time? Does the claimant go to their scheduled medical appointments? Is the claimant as injured as they say they are? Is the claimant married? Does the claimant have any children? These are all questions that can be answered by doing surveillance. This is also where a surveillance expert can give a recommendation on how to proceed with the investigation. A surveillance expert can usually have a thorough feel for what may happen after spending a certain amount of time out on surveillance.

Activity checks are another great way of investigating possible insurance fraud. You could consider an activity check a mini surveillance if you will. This is where you would go out to a claimants home at pre-targeted times to determine just what they are doing during these certain time frames. It is a more cost effective measure however it will not get the results that an actual surveillance will provide. In some cases an activity check can be almost as good but it also involves a lot of luck as in being at the right place at the right time. Activity checks will give you initial information as to what type of living conditions the claimant has. Is the area suitable for surveillance for long periods of time? Can the residence be viewed without arousing suspicion in the neighborhood? You can learn claimant’s habits while doing a few activity checks as well, and recommend how to proceed after checking things out.

Background checks are a very important tool in any investigation. There are many ways to obtain information about the target of your investigation. You can verify all types of information from a resume or application that you may have overlooked when the initial hiring took place. Does the claimant have a shady past? Are there any criminal records out there? Are there any civil lawsuits out there? Are there any bankruptcy records out there? Is the person searching for an escape from financial hardship? What type of assets do they own? What type of vehicles do they drive? Do they have multiple alcohol related driving offenses? Did they actually receive a college degree? What kind of property do they own? Did they actually work for a previous employer? Many times information is stretched on a resume or application and it is a good idea to verify all information that you can it can be very helpful to your investigation.

This is just an overview of how surveillance, activity checks and background checks can assist in a possible insurance fraud investigation. Surveillance experts are highly trained in their field and can save companies a large amount of money.