The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has signed a new intelligence sharing agreement with the Government’s Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
VOSA – responsible for a range of licensing, testing and enforcement services including the regulation of garages issuing MOT certificates – will provide a new source of data for the IFB’s sophisticated counter-fraud software in the continued fight against organised motor insurance fraud.
Stephen Dalton, Head of Intelligence at the IFB, said: “IFB operational experience has identified a number of motivations behind insurance fraud. A vehicle reaching the end of its economic life is one such trigger and VOSA – as the regulatory body for MOT test centres – will provide a critical source of intelligence for the IFB over the coming months.
“The IFB uses world-leading counter-fraud software to interrogate 130 million records of insurance every day. The more sources of data we can cross-examine our investigations against, the deeper we can delve into the complex workings of criminal gangs targeting our industry.
“Intelligence sharing agreements grant the IFB unique access to a wealth of new data from partners across industry boundaries – it’s another example of the IFB tackling organised insurance fraud from all angles.”
IFB’s new partnership with VOSA brings the total number of intelligence sharing agreements to 24, including contracts with police, regulators and public sector law enforcement agencies.
Philip Stokes, Head of Intelligence at VOSA, said: “VOSA are pleased to be working with the IFB to help combat motor insurance fraud and ensure that MOT garages are not allowing potentially un-roadworthy vehicle’s to be used on the roads. Joint working with other government agencies and organisations such as the IFB help VOSA to work towards its aim of ‘saving lives, safer roads, cutting crime and protecting the environment.’”
