Spike in auto insurance fraud reports tied to greater awareness: MPI

In 2014 alone, car manufacturers issued eight million recalls on Canadian vehicles. Carfax says one in five vehicles on Manitoba roads has an unfixed recall.

Manitoba Public Insurance says it’s seeing a spike in calls reporting auto insurance fraud.

Since January, MPI’s tip line has received 63 per cent more calls compared to the same time period last year, according to a news release.

In total, 290 calls were handled and 52 investigations were opened by MPI’s special investigation unit.

MPI is linking the rise in calls to greater public awareness about the issue.

“Earlier this year the corporation launched it’s first-ever, fraud-themed public awareness campaign which successfully resulted in raising awareness among Manitobans,” said MPI chief operating officer Curtis Wennberg in the release.

“The TIPS Line is a valuable resource in unearthing fraudulent claims.”

In a recent MPI survey of 800 people, over half of respondents said they were more likely to report fraud after seeing the campaign ads, said MPI.

The campaign stresses that auto insurance fraud affects Manitoba rate payers about $50 a year.

MPI says it saved nealy $13 million in fraud claims last year, the highest claims savings in a decade.