If your travel insurance is in order, you can get compensation if your luggage is lost. For some, it may be tempting to spread out the value of what was packed in the suitcase, but insurance company Fremtind strongly advises against this.
Many may think that insurance fraud is not that serious, but even small amounts of fraud can lead to prison sentences. “We have zero tolerance for fraud because it affects our customers,” said Lisa Kathryn Olsen, head of investigations at Fremtind, in a press release.
– I didn't trust the client.
She cites an example where a customer claimed compensation for a number of branded clothes worth NOK 47,000, which were packed in a suitcase that disappeared on a trip.
The person provided receipts for this amount, and it was paid.
But two months later, the bag reappeared, and the customer was offered to return the bag for half the amount. The customer refused.
So it was sent to Fremtnd, the rightful owner of it after paying compensation, and when they looked at the contents, there were major deviations from the list provided by the customer.
The client himself stood his ground and thought the content had to be removed.
“We didn’t trust this explanation, because the bag was locked when it was delivered to us, and it weighed the same when we checked in. We considered the damage claim to be greatly exaggerated and that the aforementioned luxury items were not in the bag,” says Olsen.
Therefore, the customer must pay the compensation amount and the police will also be informed.
– You must bring it with you.
Fraud record
Framtind detected 543 fraud attempts in 2023. This represents a 53 percent increase compared to last year.
In total, a record NOK 491 million worth of insurance fraud was uncovered last year, according to figures from norway finance.
– It is not unexpected that fraud figures are rising at a time when many people are facing difficult financial times. Insurance companies also do a good job of detecting insurance fraud, so effective work in this area can also be important. At the same time, the dark figures are large, says Stine Nyverdal, communications manager at Finans Norge Forsikringsdrift.
Those who commit non-life insurance fraud are said to be responsible for an average of NOK 132,000 in fraud, but some become thugs for a few thousand.
– The consequences of insurance fraud are serious. Those who commit insurance fraud are essentially stealing from society, and insurance is built on trust. Fraudsters risk a police report and, in the most serious cases, jail time, says Neverdahl.
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