Where there's smoke, there's fire!
Why do most fires occur at night (after 11pm –5am) or on a weekend?
A) Criminals sleep during the day
B) Criminals like doing things in the dark
C) Less likely to have witnesses
D) Fire looks cooler at night
C -- It's less likely witnesses will be present at night
What is the average attention span of most persons?
A) 8 seconds
B) 60 seconds (1 minute)
C) 9 seconds
D) 90 seconds
A -- 8 seconds (according to a study by Microsoft).
For comparison, a goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds.
Motorcycle is titled or registered as a brand name motorcycle, when actually it is an assembled clone made from after market components.
A) It matters if the claimant represented the bike as all OEM to Markel
B) Who cares?
C) Insurance company still owes claimant for loss
D) Most aftermarket parts are just as good as OEM
A -- OEM (original equipment manufacturer) is considered more valuable than after market parts
Alleged injury relates to a pre-existing injury or health problem.
What is the best way to confirm or deny this allegation?
A) Take a recorded statement
B) Ask the SIU for help
C) Talk to the neighbors
D) Conduct a medical canvass
D -- Medical canvass
Verify date(s) of injury and treatment
Assess if the injury is related to the claim or is it a pre-existing injury or health problem
Discover if the claimant has a history of prior claims
Determine if there are previous treatments for similar injuries
Uncovering a pattern of drug seeking behavior
Revealing possible misrepresentations about the claim
Why would someone claim expensive content in vessel at the time of the theft?
A) All boat owners are rich
B) To get a big pile of money
C) People claim expensive items when there is a theft so they can recover part of their premium payment
D) All of the above
B -- $$$$$
Most accidental fires usually start in more than 1 place.
A) True
B) False
B -- False
Most accidental fires usually have a single point of origin (start in 1 place).
Intentionally set fires usually have multiple points of origin because the criminal is trying to burn the place to the ground (seeking a larger payout).
Is asking about the weather considered an ice breaker question that can build rapport with the subject or should the weather be avoided?
A) No, avoid that question, too cliche
B) Depends on the person
C) Yes, it can help build rapport
D) Depends if the Sun is shining
C -- Yes, it's cliche, but the weather is a tried and true ice breaker, especially if you live in different parts of the country.
Building rapport is an important part of the interview process. You may be able to build rapport in 2-3 questions, maybe 5 minutes on the long end.
Which of the following are theft fraud indicators?
a) Loss occurs shortly after coverage takes effect.
b) Late police report filed.
c) Seasonal stock inventory.
d) Claimant has a history of prior theft claims in the ISO database.
E) All of the above.
E -- All of the above
Which indicator is not a water damage red flag?
a) Damaged property is disposed of or repaired before an adjuster can view damages.
b) Inspection does not reveal a water source consistent with the areas damaged.
C) Damage consistent all over the roof instead of concentrated area primarily facing the incoming hail storm
D) Photographs clearly depict water damage pre-existed the date of loss or damage caused by long term leakage and seepage.
C -- is a hail storm fraud indicator
The fraud scheme commonly referred to "past posting" can be described as:
A) Obtaining insurance coverage before a loss occurred, and then filing a fraudulent claim.
B) Obtaining insurance coverage after a loss occurred, and then filing a fraudulent claim.
B -- Obtaining insurance coverage after a loss occurred, and then filing a fraudulent claim.
The key is "after" a loss occurs.
Claimant is willing to accept an unusually ______ settlement rather than document all claimed losses.
A) Large
B) Small
B -- Small
Criminals will accept less because there is less risk of getting caught if they don't have to document all the claimed losses.
After rapport and general information questions (name, address, etc.) is it better to start out asking closed ended questions (confirming what you know, with yes or no questions) or ask open ended questions (tell me what happened)?
A) Closed ended questions to confirm what you know
B) Open ended questions to allow the subject/interviewee to tell their story -- account of what happened
B -- The general consensus is it's better to start out asking "open ended questions". The purpose is to obtain the subject's pure, unblemished account what (s)he knows.
Theft report is significantly delayed (late reporting usually more than 10 days).
A) Not a red flag
B) Is a red flag or can be explained or justified
C) Not a big deal
B -- A delay is a red flag, but it doesn't automatically point toward fraud
If it can be explained or justified (I was on a trip out of state at the time of the theft & alibi was confirmed; or had a family emergency shortly after the theft and did not get to it right way)
Inappropriate expensive medical equipment prescribed for a minor injury.
A) Is a BI red flag
B) Should be reviewed and additional questions asked
C) Could be a billing error
D) All of the above
D -- All of the above
The date of service/sale or itemization of charges appear to be altered/changed.
A) It happens. Ok to ignore. It's good customer service to pay claims.
B) Ask for authorization to obtain the records from the original source.
C) It's likely someone used a PDF editor to alter the records if the lines are outside the normal space or a few letters (alpha characters) may be a different font than the rest of the text.
D) Both B & C.
D -- Both B &C
B -- Ask for authorization to obtain the records from the original source.
C -- It's likely someone used a PDF editor to alter the records if the lines are outside the normal space or a few letters (alpha characters) may be a different font than the rest of the text.
Why do some criminals create excessive signs of forced entry?
A) Most criminals don't create excessive signs of forced entry
B) To make it appear the owner or someone with a financial interest was not involved
C) Most criminals like to go undetected
D) All of the above
B -- To make it appear the owner or someone with a financial interest was not involved
Is controlled silence (not saying anything after the subject is done providing a response to a question) a good tip or bad advice (just plain rude)?
A) Good tip
B) Bad advice - always
A -- A good tip.
Most people are uncomfortable with silence. The subject will eventually speak again. It's inevitable. The pressure of the silence will engulf him/her and (s)he will feel a need to fill it with words.
Controlled silence can be a critical tool in the search to uncover additional information and clues in an interview.
Which indicators are red flags of "cargo theft"?
A) Trailer left in an unsecured location or where no security measures were in effect.
B) Most stolen commodities are food, consumer electronics, metals, alcohol, and clothing/accessories.
C) Tractor and trailer parked outside the driver's house.
D) Both A & B
E) All of the above.
D -- Both A & B
A -- A trailer left in an unsecured location or where no security measures were in effect.
B -- Most stolen commodities are food, consumer electronics, metals, alcohol, and clothing/accessories.
Not C -- Because most thefts occur at truck stops so as to disguise or conceal the theft.
What do you call it when a subject leaves out part of the facts from their recorded statement?
A) Memory lapse
B) Intentional deception
C) Intentional omission
D) Editing
D -- Editing
We all edit to some degree when we communicate with one another. We conveniently leave out some facts or tell half truths. Why? Because most people try to avoid lying as it causes undue stress.
Editing allows a person to speed up the conversation and omit facts they don't want to disclose or facts they think are insignificant.
What's the best strategy by a deceptive claimant to throw an inquisitive claims examiner or SIU Investigator off their trail?
A) Respond to a question with a question
B) Speak in the third person to sound important
C) Give qualified answers ("Not that I recall", "To the best of my knowledge", "I can't really say")
d) All of the above
D -- All of the above
A, B, and C -- are all deceptive language techniques that are red flags of deception
Why would you or the SIU look for nearby video cameras and request the video footage; conduct a neighborhood canvass; look for Ring doorbells along the most likely route in & out of the neighborhood; ask for consent to conduct a forensic examination of the Claimant's mobile phone; etc.?
A) To invade their privacy
B) Just because you can
C) You suspect items were moved out of the commercial building or rental property before the fire
D) You suspect items were moved into or out of the commercial building or rental property before the fire
D -- You suspect items were moved into or out of the commercial building or rental property before the fire
Closing the Interview
What is the name of this technique?
Before we wrap this up today, I want to make sure I 've understood everything you've told me. Can you go over your story again, starting with the last thing you told me working back to the beginning?
A) Trickery
B) Walking it backwards
C) Story reversal
D) Back to the beginning
C -- Story reversal.
This forces the subject to go through their story step by step. If there is a fictional account (fake, made-up) mixed with the facts, it will be very difficult for the subject to do this.
You might have to prompt them, "What happened before that?"
When a person is relating truth, they are accessing their memory. Every event has a connection to another event, as memory is a finely woven fabric of intricate connections. To recall an event, a truthful person need not start at any particular point in their memory. They can start anywhere and go forward or backward without difficulty.
Conversely, fiction is created out of thin air. It has no association with real history or fact. It is created in one direction.
***DAILY DOUBLE***
Claims expensive and high-end items missing, but does not have any receipts to demonstrate proof of purchase.
A) Markel should pay the claim, it's good customer service
B) Can't force them to produce documentation
C) One option is to take an EUO to allow the insured/claimant to swear under oath as to the value
D) Both B & C
D -- Both B & C
B -- Can't force them to produce documentation (but may be able able to deny the claim on lack of cooperation)
C -- One option is to take an EUO to allow the insured/claimant to swear under oath as to the value (this is common in fire claims and other claims)
How many words are in the 'Markel Style'?
A) 199 words
B) 214 words
C) 177 words
D) More than 214 words
B -- 214 words
The 'Markel Style' is what makes us stand out from our competitors. It's our core value which should underpin how we do business, influence our behavior, and govern our actions.
More than ___ (percent) of U.S. consumers say poor service from an insurance company is more likely to cause a person to defraud that insurer.
A) 50%
B) 70%
C) 55%
D) 33%
C -- 55%