Insurance Surveillance
Insurance companies make regular use of surveillance companies to try and stop paying for claims due to fraudulent activities. This can involve a "fake accident" at work that really took place at a week-end football game, which is not covered by workers compensation insurance. Of course workers compensation pays wage loss benefits, which are normally two-thirds of what a person was making at the time of his injury, but only for injuries that occur on the job. Surveillance companies are vendors for insurance companies that make use of video cameras as well as interviewing neighbors and work associates to find out the truth about claims. If the claims are legitimate, there is no problem, but there is a tremendous amount of fraud.
Fraud is now being strongly prosecuted by the insurance industry to save money for themselves and the accounts they insure. The more money that is paid out in "bogus claims", cost of all us money in premiums as it has a trickle down effect. The more money that a manufacturer has to pay out in false claims, the more costs he tacks on to his/her final product costs and we , the end user, pay more money than is necessary except for the fraud of dishonest people
People in the Surveillance business are generally those who have been in law enforcement before and have started a small company of their own. They have experience in interviewing witnesses and testifying in court. They also get the cooperation of the local law enforcement authorities when they are sitting outside of someone's house to determine their actions and movements. They stand ready with their video cameras to record activity that can be used as evidence against the person collecting benefits if the activity is contrary to what they are being paid dollars for.
Consider the person with a "bad back", who is changing a tire on his car or who goes bowling with the "boys" or goes to the local gym or is working under the table for another company while collecting a check from the insurance company and the employer they insure.. Surveillance companies use all types of tactics to get to the facts and the truth of the claim. This includes putting change on the sidewalk by the person's car and filming his/her picking it up if a bad back is the issue. It also includes going to a neighbor's house to find out where this person goes on a regular basis - you would be surprised as to how neighbors will "spill the beans" about another.
Surveillance companies also work hand in hand with other vendors that do work for the insurance companies as they compliment each other. Consider the Tucker Insurance Systems that performs insurance and employment consulting services for the same account. Information is shared by both parties to help get to the common goal of getting the case closed.
If a person is collecting a check from an insurance company, there is a high probability that a surveillance company has been assigned to track his/her moves for an extended period of time and evidence collected is used in a court of law if it proves to be a fraudulent claim.