A new statewide task force aimed at insurance fraud met for the first time Monday, the Texas Department of Insurance announced Wednesday.
The Texas Insurance Fraud Task Force brings together 63 representatives from law enforcement, the insurance industry, consumer groups and other partners, according to the agency. Gov. Greg Abbott directed the department in August to take steps under its existing authority to make home and auto insurance more affordable, and forming the task force was one of those directed actions.
TDI says Texas, the second-largest insurance market in the country, draws increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes. The agency's Fraud Unit received more than 20,000 reports of suspected insurance fraud last year.
"Every fraudulent claim paid raises costs for honest Texans," Insurance Commissioner Amanda Crawford said in the announcement.
What the group is supposed to do
According to TDI, the task force will:
- coordinate insurance fraud investigations across the state
- share intelligence on fraud trends and schemes
- write consumer guidelines for avoiding fraud, with a focus on the period after natural disasters
- expand public outreach through training, webinars and community events
