Fraud Detection in Group Litigation
Recently, Bloomberg published an article discussing how bad actors coached individuals and provided edited documents in an attempt to defraud law firms and the government with fake Camp Lejeune claims.
These scammers coached individuals over the phone on how to answer case-specific questions. They knew what diseases fit the case criteria, and they provided doctored medical records and other documents to validate their claims. They even went as far as targeting real Camp Lejeune victims and their loved ones by gathering victim-specific information and submitting claims on their behalf without approval.
Unfortunately, fraud in mass torts and other group litigations is only becoming more common and these bad actors are using more sophisticated tools to deceive law firms.
In fact, recent tech advances in PDF and other image document editors have made it almost impossible to detect edits with the human eye. VPNs, VOIPs, and other tools make it difficult to identify where web traffic and phone calls originate. So how can lawyers fight back?
Developing a process that combines both staff training and technology is a great place to start. Educating your intake staff on coached calls and inserting intake questions that fraudsters may not be prepared to answer can be your first line of defense. Using new technology to review client information, verify documents, and validate the client’s identity is another great way to identify fraudulent claims.
To do this, technology can be used to check if a client is using a VPN, to verify their ID, and to check if their phone number is virtual or land carrier. AI and other tools can be used to check submitted documents for changes and/or tampering in real-time.
In conclusion, staff education and technology are the best tools you can use to ensure your clients are who they say they are and have substantiated claims based on real documentation.
The article referenced:
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/bogus-claims-threaten-to-taint-us-toxic-water-payout-to-veterans-1.1991323