Contact the IFB’s free and confidential Cheatline with information on insurance fraud

Call 0800 422 0421 or online www.insurancefraudbureau.org/report

NEWS RELEASE

2 February 2012  for immediate release.

UK Counter-Fraud Techniques Exported To Poland

A delegation from the Polish Insurance Guarantee Fund (IGF) visited London today to learn more
about the UK insurance industry’s pioneering fraud detection techniques.
Welcomed by Phil Bird, director of the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), the five-strong delegation from
Warsaw met IFB officials to discuss fraud detection software, personal data protection and industrycoordinated
counter fraud operations across the UK.

With a view to applying this knowledge back home, the Polish visit marks an increasing number of
nations including Japan, Canada, France and Spain turning to the UK insurance industry for
intelligence on counter-fraud procedures.

Phil Bird, Director of the IFB, said:
Insurance fraud is an international problem from which no country is immune. Fraudulent general
insurance claims are estimated to cost the UK alone £2 billion a year adding £50 to the annual costs of
honest policyholders.

Welcoming colleagues from around the world is testament to the sophistication of UK counter-fraud
operations and the successful coordinated efforts of our insurance industry to disrupt organised
insurance fraud a crime which is so costly to honest policyholders.

Wojciech Bijak, Director of the Polish Insurance Information Office, said:
Last year, the IGF launched a central motor insurance database in Poland, capturing 188 million
records of policies, accidents and associated payouts. In 2012, by way of amended law, the IGF is now
entitled to interrogate this database for the purpose of detecting insurance fraud. We visited the IFB
today to consider and learn from the UK insurance industry’s valuable experience in fraud detection and
disruption.

- ENDS -

Contact the IFB’s free and confidential Cheatline with information on insurance fraud
Call 0800 422 0421 or online www.insurancefraudbureau.org/report

About the IFB:
The IFB launched on July 26 2006 and was formed to provide a cost effective, tactical solution for the
detection and prevention of organised, cross-industry fraud, supporting the wider Association of British Insurers (ABI) industry fraud strategy. The IFB leads or co-ordinates the industry response to the identification of criminal fraud networks and works closely with the Police and law enforcement agencies.