Social networks help insurers to track down fraudsters

To identify scammers, insurers rely now on publications of the affected customers on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The technical manager for property and casualty insurance at Allianz France has explained that in case of doubt, the company may use social networks to verify certain information such as the health status of a claimant or the relationship between two suspects.

This practice has been observed in England, where the British insurer Aviva has sentenced a customer for fraud following a publication on Twitter. The insured has been compensated for bodily injury following a car accident. He was prosecuted after posting a photo showing him participating in a marathon after the alleged incident.