That was the powerful warning issued at the 2025 Insurance Fraud Prevention Conference, which concluded this Friday at the Birchwood Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa (SA).
From staged accidents and fabricated claims to crimes as serious as murder and sexual assault used to exploit insurance systems, experts at the two-day summit highlighted how deeply fraud is impacting both industry and society.
“It was the glaring realities, scary realities actually, because I think we often think it’s just pockets of money here and there. But when you look at fake accidents, murder statistics, rape statistics feeding into insurance fraud, it’s now a community thing,” said Tatenda Zimano, Conference Producer from Bussynet Advanced Training, which organised the event.
The summit brought together fraud specialists, insurance leaders, law enforcement, and regulators from across Africa, including Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Namibia, Angola, Mauritius and host nation SA, as well as from the United Kingdom. The goal; to develop shared strategies to counter a challenge costing the industry billions each year.
Zimano said discussions this year moved beyond data to focus on the human element and the need for unified efforts across borders and sectors.
“The key takeaways are just focusing on collaboration in fighting insurance fraud, not forgetting the human aspect. Behind the laptop, behind the technology, is the human being who’s assessing the claims and integrating that. So, it’s been an impactful two days,” she noted.
While legal frameworks may vary across countries, delegates agreed that the core challenges, and many of the solutions, are common throughout the region.
“The conversations have been centred around how best do we tackle fraud. The legislation might differ, but the solutions sort of cut across,” Zimano explained.
As the conference closed, organisers encouraged participants to turn dialogue into action by forming regional communities of practice to keep the momentum going.
“What I’d like to see beyond the conference is a continuation of the conversation, maybe forming communities of practice. So, it’s not just talk, but we actually get something practical going,” Zimano added.
--ChannelAfrica--
