Reporting Potential Fraud

How You Can Prevent Insurance Fraud

Insurance fraud exists in all shapes and forms, and crop insurance is no exception.  Crop insurance fraud not only hurts the image of the Federally funded program, but our most important relationship, the farmers and ranchers we serve.  Insurance fraud makes for stricter policies to follow and increased premium rates for everyone involved in the Federal crop insurance program.

 

At AgriSompo North America, we strive to help the farmers and ranchers we serve in every aspect by actively identifying and preventing fraudulent activity. We do this by training and educating our agents, adjusters, employees, and affiliates on how to recognize anomalies in reported information and common indicators of misrepresentation, fraud, waste, or abuse.

 

You can help in our effort by reporting suspected fraud.  Crop insurance fraud can be based on any evidence, including, but not limited to:

  • Losses
  • Production or yields that deviate significantly from other producers in the area
  • Unverifiable harvested production
  • Personal knowledge that contradicts any information provided by the policyholder or any other person who provides information with respect to an eligible crop insurance contract

 

How to Report Potential or Suspected Fraud, Misrepresentation, Waste, or Abuse

You can help combat crop insurance fraud by reporting it. You can report by going through the USDA hotline or through AgriSompo North America’s Legal Department.  Contact information and links can be found below:

 

USDA Fraud Hotline

  • Phone: 1-800-424-9121; or
  • Website: https://www.usda.gov/oig/hotline  (This website also includes more information about crop insurance fraud, as well as multiple ways to report.)

 

AgriSompo North America Legal Department

 

The complainant may remain confidential (i.e., known only to the USDA OIG), allow their name to be used (i.e., included in any investigation that may take place), or anonymous (i.e., unknown even to the USDA OIG). If the complainant chooses to remain anonymous, USDA OIG cannot obtain additional information on the allegation (e.g., testimonial or documentary evidence; identity of witnesses), and also cannot inform the complainant as to what action USDA OIG has taken on the complaint. Confidential status allows further communication between USDA OIG and the complainant after the original complaint is received. If a person making an OIG Hotline complaint (a “complainant”) wishes remain anonymous they should mark any written communication as CONFIDENTIAL and state “I wish for my identity to remain confidential and protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 and/or the Inspector General Act of 1978.”

The identity of complainants is protected under the provisions of the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 and the Inspector General Act of 1978.