Detecting fake documents with new technology 

Translated to English - https://www-finansfokus-no.translate.goog/2024/12/18/finner-falske-dokumenter-med-ny-teknologi/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

FDS. Another abbreviation, which means nothing until you know what the letters stand for. Fraud Detection System says more about what it is. Gjensidige has a system that goes through and analyzes documents and images looking for manipulation.

– It has become incredibly easy to change images and documents now, says Vera Sønsthagen, head of research at Gjensidige in Norway.  

She sees that the number of insurance fraud cases is increasing and that the amounts are higher than before.  

– This is a trend that will continue from 2023 and it is more than ever now.  

Figures from Finans Norge support this claim. For the first half of 2022, there were 446 fraud cases within non-life insurance. This year, the number has increased to 692. That is an increase of over 50 percent.  

– Although we may have become better at uncovering fraud, I also believe that more people are trying, says Sønsthagen.  

DOCUMENT FORGERY 

In travel and household goods, Gjensidige sees that many people are creative when submitting photos and documents.  

– We actually see everything. From receipts that are forged from scratch, perhaps made in Word, to electronic receipts where the customer has changed the amount from five to 25,000. There are also services on the internet where you can download fake documents, tailored to your fraud needs. Everything from medical records to travel receipts and payslips can be manipulated, says Sønsthagen.  

– There is a big difference in the price of small electronics. You can get a TV for 5,000 but it could just as easily cost 25,000. My hypothesis is that digital literacy is increasing among young people and it is easy to make these changes. When it is easy, it is easier for morale to also break down.  

MASSIVE CONTROL 

Gjensidige receives thousands of documents in claims cases. With FDS, it has become possible to review very large amounts of data.  

– Before, we were dependent on eyes on documents that needed to be checked. Now we go through a lot of documents automatically. It helps us uncover more. FDS divides the documents into green, blue and red. The red ones are almost certainly something wrong, while the blue ones are things we should look at a little more closely, says Sønsthagen.  

FDS was developed by Detect System in Denmark. The system checks a wide range of parameters when it picks out a document that is likely to have been forged.  

– We still have a manual check on what the system selects for verification.  

LOSE THE INSURANCE 

– How do people react when confronted with fraud? 

– It's very different. Some people lie flat and acknowledge, others hold back on the explanation and can't understand how this happened, says Sønsthagen.  

The fact is that fraud has major consequences for the customer if it is discovered. The entire compensation is forfeited.  

The main rule is that we report fraud to the police.

Vera Sønsthagen

– If you put 2,000 kroner on a jacket in a suitcase, you don't just lose the 2,000 kroner. You don't get any compensation at all. In addition, we terminate the customer relationship with two weeks' notice. The main rule is also that we report fraud to the police. It is extra serious if the customer has forged documents. Then you have crossed a line. Reporting and telling about the consequences will be preventive, says the fraud manager, who doesn't think people are aware of what they risk if they are caught.  

– I think this especially applies to young people.  

THINK LIKE A FRAUDSTER

As a scam hunter, you have to think like a scammer.  

“We have to keep our antennas out and see how technology and the like develop. This is a continuous process,” says Sønsthagen, who is gaining more and more colleagues.  

– We have staffed and further developed the computer systems. New positions in investigation have also been advertised. These jobs are mainly held by people with a police background. It is good old-fashioned investigation that applies. It is largely about talking to people, says Sønsthagen, who himself also has a police background.  

“But it was a long time ago,” she laughs.