Fraudchronicles.com 4: Where Can You Hide In The Middle Of A Field?
By Tom Reitze
When an insurance claim contains red flag indicators of potential fraud and an assertion by the person of total disability, it makes sense to discreetly document the claimant’s activities on film to verify or discredit the claim. This is known as surveillance. If the person isn’t really disabled, chances are the investigator will be able to catch and film them doing something that a truly disabled person would not be able to do.

FraudChronicles.com (http://www.fraudchronicles.com) sponsored by independent investigators David Morse & Associates, gives information and resources on how to fight insurance fraud. The site also features stories of successful investigations that have resulted in the bust of a fraud perpetrator. And when a fraud perpetrator is busted, that helps to bring insurance premiums down.

This is a case from the David Morse & Associates investigations archives, Part 4 of the Fraud Chronicles, and involves a case where the investigator had to be inventive to get the film without tipping off the “disabled” person doing heavy farm work.

Where Can You Hide in the Middle of a Field?
Andy Schwarz, Investigations Manager Los Angeles, DMA Investigations

“A first rule of surveillance in rural areas is: When in Rome do as the Romans do. Or perhaps better stated: Look like what a Roman would expect a stranger to look like. For the last several years in many situations that has meant: look like you are interested in buying real estate.

“Our assignment involved a claimant alleging total disability, and he was located near a small (population 400) farming

Article continued below...