course description
Insurance fraud is the second costliest white-collar crime in America, after tax evasion. It is estimated that $80 billion is paid out each year in fraudulent insurance claims. It is estimated by the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud that the average American household pays over $950 a year in additional premiums to cover the cost of insurance fraud. According to industry estimates, healthcare fraud alone costs Americans $54 billion a year. Private Investigators have traditionally always been used by the insurance industry as its "eyes and ears" in the field, independently collecting the facts surrounding insured losses. Recently, however, we are becoming even more important to the overall health of the world's insurers.
This course is designed to teach and develop techniques that are required in most insurance investigations, regardless if the investigator is working for the claimant or the insurer. The course of instruction will introduce topics from interviewing methodologies, obtaining quality statements, pre-surveillance investigations, surveillance methods, to the legal aspects of surveillance and eventually preparing to give testimony at trial.
This course is approved for 14 hours of instruction in Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Iowa; 12 hours in Tennessee and Kentucky; 8 hours in Kansas, Louisiana and Georgia; 10 hours in South Carolina; 4 hours in New Mexico.. An exam will be administered upon the conclusion of the program. If the candidate passes with a score of 75% or better, a certificate of completion will be issued in accordance with state licensing authority standards.
the author
L. Scott Harrell has been a professional investigator for over 17 years. He began a career in the intelligence and investigations tradecraft when selected to work with several intelligence units while serving our country in the United States Navy. Since his discharge, Scott has continued to apply the very special skills honed in the military through his own private investigation practice and service within the private security industry. Scott has worked with Fortune 500 companies, owned and managed two very successful agencies in Texas, Florida and Louisiana. He is also a noted speaker, mentor and author of eight (8) investigation-related books.
program outline
Introduction
- Understanding Insurance Fraud
- Red Flags and Common Indicators of Fraud
Interviewing and Taking Statements
- The Interview Process
- Developing Rapport
- The Free Narrative
- Enhancing Recall and Eliciting Forgotten Facts
- Taking Recorded and Written Statements
- Asking Effective Questions
- Mastering Listening Skills
- Interpreting Nonverbal Behavior
Statement Guides
- Theft of Personal Property
- Vehicle Theft
- Property or Structure Fire
- Vehicle Fire
- Automobile Accident- Driver’s Statement
- Automobile Accident- Passenger’s Statement
- Automobile Accident- Witness’ Statement
- Automobile Accident- Officer’s Statement
- Workers’ Compensation- Employee’s Statement
- Workers’ Compensation- Employer’s Statement
- Workers’ Compensation- Witness’ Statement
- Slip and Fall
Surveillance
- Presurveillance Investigations
- Making Positive Identification of Your Subject
- Pretexting
- Pretext Scenarios and Examples
- Managing Confrontation
- Being Approached by Law Enforcement
- Surveillance
- Visual Surveillance
- Mobile Surveillance
- Tailing Methods and Tactics
- Choosing a Surveillance Vehicle
- Surveillance Reports
- Improving Your Surveillance Product
- What’s Allowed on Surveillance Video?
- Editing Surveillance Video Footage for Court
- The Legal Aspects of Surveillance
- Roping and Entrapment
- Surveillance Case Law
Preparing to Take Your Stand in Court
Conclusion
- Bibliography
