Insurers and public sector to share fraud info

Insurers and local authorities will be able to share details of fraudsters following a deal signed by the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) and National Anti-Fraud Network Data & Intelligence Services (NAFN).

NAFN is an organisation that lets councils and other public sector bodies share intelligence on fraud.

The pilot project will initially see the IFB working alongside local authorities from north London boroughs.

IFB head of intelligence Stephen Dalton said: “The IFB’s strength has always been built on the power of the collective. Intelligence sharing agreements grant the IFB access to a wealth of new data from partners who are fighting financial crime in other sectors across the UK.”

“By sharing intelligence across sectors and geographical boundaries, we close the net on criminals abusing the system.”

NAFN intelligence manager Jeremy Frost said: “Our new close relationship with the IFB will help move us into a new era of data sharing, an area that is heavily endorsed by the Cabinet Office and the National Fraud Authority.

“We have known for some time that criminals do not just target one organisation; better sharing of data with others will make their life harder and ultimately lead to reductions in fraud loss.”