Waging war against organised insurance fraud

South Africa’s high crime rates have huge financial implications for, and adversely affect, the short-term (non-life) insurance industry because the higher the incidence of crime, the more insurance companies have to pay out in claims. Tackling these crimes is now a priority for the South African government. Here, Hugo Van Zyl, the Chief Operating Officer of the recently established South African Insurance Crime Bureau, outlines the context within which the SAICB operates. Working closely with local police, prosecuting authorities and the commercial client court, the SAICB makes every effort to ensure insurance companies collect all the necessary information to assist with investigations against crimes which affect the industry

As hosts to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the world’s media spotlight is firmly placed on South Africa, however despite the country’s efforts to tackle the crime issues, many reports are focusing on the negative with the country’s poor reputation for organised and violent crime.