IBC turns attention to crime “rings”, drops individual claims investigation

The Insurance Bureau of Canada’s (IBC) investigative division will focus on auto theft and organized crime in the future, handing its individual claims investigation service over to another firm.As of April 1, the IBC will no longer accept new requests for individual claims file investigations, but will direct members to Forensic Investigations. Forensic Investigations has announced it will hire a number of IBC staff displaced by the move. Ongoing individual investigations will be completed by the IBC, a process the bureau says should be complete by the end of the month.In focusing on crime rings, the IBC takes advantage of its status as an investigative body under the new federal privacy legislation, allowing it to collect and analyze information from across the industry. “This move is in the best interest of IBC and its member companies because it allows the organization to concentrate on its strengths,” says Terri MacLean, executive vice president, information and investigations for the IBC. “Because of its access to the industry, and industry data, IBC is in a unique position to study information on different claims, and make the links necessary to identify ring activity.”