More Insurance Fraud Statistics

I've written several posts about insurance fraud and how it's costing the average consumer a lot of money with increasing premiums, so here's a few sobering statistics to show just how it's become such a rampant problem.

• The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud estimates $80 billion in fraud a year world wide for all the different types of insurance.

• Check out these stats from the RGA 2017 Global Claims Fraud Survey, where 27 major insurers around the globe gave data in the process.

• 3-4% of all claims are fraudulent; or put another way, about 1 in 30 claims is identified as fraudulent


• 5% of identified fraud cases involved insurance agent complicity


• Where underwriting controls appear strongest - North America - the incidence of claims fraud is reduced


• Of the fraud identified, less than 2% resulted in a fraud prosecution


• Fraud investigation can extend the end to end time for consumers by up to 8 times the normal processing time

For more info on what affects insurance rates, check out the following posts....

https://gobluecircle.com/insurance-news/why-distracted-driving-affects-insurance-premiums/
https://gobluecircle.com/insurance-news/why-extreme-weather-events-affect-insurance-premiums/

photo courtesy of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud

Did you know that there is an online "Insurance Fraud Hall Of Shame", where some of the most despicable people are called out for their crimes. Unfortunately, not only are the insurers getting bilked out of big dollars and the honest consumer paying the costs in increased premiums, but in many of the cases listed, people died or were severely traumatized, which is even worse.

For more info on fraud and how it affects insurance rates, check out the following posts....

https://ontheroadwithpaul.blogspot.com/2019/05/understanding-auto-fraud.html
https://ontheroadwithpaul.blogspot.com/2018/04/cyber-security-and-computer-based-fraud.html

Weirdness

This Saturday post seems a good time to share some weirdness, so check out these oddities gleaned from the internet in a 5 minute search....

Hmmm, maybe this sums up my day! haha

Mountain Magic

Here's a few photos from a recent back country hike and camp in our big beautiful backyard!

It's amazing to be able to jump in the truck and drive for a couple of hours, then hike for a few more and be in the magical places that you can see in these photos.

Black Holes

Your Entire Life Is Online

When considering how to deal with the ever increasing scourge of cyber crime, watch the following video about a social experiment designed to show people that their entire lives are on-line and could be used against them. 

Needless to say, one must be careful about what is posted on their social media and what sort of security is used on their cell phones, home computers and other devices.

Social engineering is one way cyber criminals take advantage of innocent folk, which may explain why cyber crime accounts for US $600 billion worldwide losses annually.

And, although BlueCircle offers many forms of cyber insurance, we also follow the mantra that knowledge is the best insurance, so learn a lot more by checking out these other posts about the many forms of cyber crime. 

https://ontheroadwithpaul.blogspot.com/2018/09/october-is-cyber-security-month.html

https://ontheroadwithpaul.blogspot.com/2017/12/this-means-cyber-war.html

https://ontheroadwithpaul.blogspot.com/2017/07/protect-yourself-and-your-business-too.html

Tonight Is Bike Night With One Broken Biker!!

One Broken Biker (Calgary) is a not-for-profit organization that uses poker runs, silent auctions, donations and merchandise sales to raise money to help injured riders and their families.

No-one ever wants to be in this situation but if it ever happens, OBB is there to help

The first of their events took place in September 2012, and they now hold two poker runs and a silent auction in the Calgary area each year. The proceeds go directly to those who need it most in the form of funds or care packages.

The idea for this organization came after co-founder Ashlee Atkin went through the trauma of  not only witnessing her father suffer a near fatal motorcycle accident but also the agonizingly long and painful recovery process. During that time Ashlee and her friend Elizabeth Cloutier realized that there is a financial gap that most accident victims suffer through, when immediate costs need to be covered and help is needed. OBB was founded to help not just accident victims themselves, but also their families, who often bear the brunt of expenditures, especially if the victim is the income earner. 

Ashlee and her dad, Glenn, during his recovery from a motorcycle accident

Every Wednesday evening the OBB crew host Bike Night at The Big Sky BBQ,  just north of Okotoks, and tonight BlueCircle is a proud sponsors. We'll be heading up there for 5;00 and want to invite any of our cleints, friends, and those friends we have yet to meet to come join us for some great food and camaraderie, not to mention a chance to grab some free swag and have a chance to win some great prizes. 

Ashlee has a new ride now...a 2019 Road Glide

An OBB Calgary poker run down to the Twin Cities Hotel and Saloon in Longview

OBB always supports on-route local, motorcycle friendly establishments, like The Water's Edge Pub in Priddis

These ladies are part of the friends of OBB group

Likewise for these gents

Looks like Mother Nature is going to be helpful today and though there may be a few clouds, all this rain we've been having is not going to be a factor. We hope to see you there and wish you all safe riding!

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other!

Here's a tale of two packing pellets, also known as packing peanuts, with a dramatic difference that makes you wonder why the usage of one of them isn't mandatory!

Yes, the large packing pellet in the above photo is your typical styrofoam variety. Lightweight, easy to produce and inexpensive to purchase, this pellet does the job quite well. Unfortunately, it will likely get tossed after one use and then sit in a landfill or bob about in the ocean for the next 500 years.

Take packing pellet number two though, the smaller one in a cluster in the photo, and you have a very different story. This particular one is made of corn starch ( others can be made from grain sorghum) and while it is more expensive to manufacture and does add more weight to a shipped package, it is distinctive in that it is also compostable!

Not that I'd advocate using 20 litres of water to rid myself of a sinkful of pellets but the experiment does show that the pellets will simply dissolve when wet, a far cry better than the polystyrene version that should be outlawed.

A Leisurely Game Of Badminton You Say?

I play badminton a couple of times a week and often get surprised by people who, upon hearing this, make comments about how it's a "slow" game and that "it's not much of a workout" since "it's more of a leisure sport"!

Sure, just like any other sport you could play a leisurely game of badminton, but it most certainly can be elevated to the utmost competetive level, which is why it's an Olympic sport of course. I'm an okay player, with lots to learn still, hopefully something that's happening based on the competition level of the very good players with whom I compete. Perhaps it can be said I might qualify for "the most improved player" amongst the playing circle we call "Badminton Buds".

Here's some interesting badminton facts for you....

• during a 3 game set of singles badminton against an opponent that is closely matched in skill with myself, my sports watch indicates 10,000 steps ( co-incidentally, that's approximately the same as what I get in a 5 km run )


• badminton requires a combination of agility, endurance and hand eye co-ordination, not to mention finesse, accuracy, deception, and strategy, all based on your ability to read and react to your opponents strengths and weaknesses.


• badminton consists of 4 basic strokes, overhead and underarm forhand, and overhead and underarm backhand.


• badminton consists of a multitude of shots including, high deep or shorthand serve, underhand and overhand drop, underhand and overhand clear ( a.k.a. lob), smash, drive, and net-kill.


• during the game, the racquet may not touch the net at anytime.


• the fastest moving object in sports is the shuttlecock, with a record speed of 493 kmph in a set up situation, and 417 kmph in competition play ( both records held by Malaysian national players) 


• badminton is only second to soccer as the most played sport in the world.


• competetive badminton is ruled by Indonesian, Malaysian and Chinese athletes, who win approximately 70% of all matches and are the only three countries to have ever won the Thomas Cup in it's 171 year history. 

P.V. Sindhu in action t the Asian Games 2018

So, the next time you see someone playing badminton, take a minute to stop and watcht eh action and appreciate what's actually involved in a good match.