The following are some simple steps you can take to help combat insurance fraud:

• Keep your life, health, car, and homeowner's insurance policies together, and check their status with your insurance company on a regular basis. Protect your insurance policy numbers.
• Review any explanations of benefits from your medical insurance carrier or HMO, and any statements from your automobile or homeowner's insurance carrier. Make sure that dates of service, types and amounts of service, and amounts billed are accurate and seem appropriate.
• Watch for double-billing or multiple charges for the same medical procedure.
• Before buying an insurance policy, check with your state insurance department to make sure the insurance company is licensed and covered by the state's guaranty fund, which takes on certain payment obligations if the insurance company becomes insolvent. Also, check to make sure your agent or broker is licensed to sell policies for the company.
• Check with the insurance company regularly to verify that your premium went to the company and was credited to your policy.
• Don't sign blank claim forms.
• Beware of approaches by strangers after an accident, especially strangers who recommend a particular doctor or lawyer.
• If you are in a car accident, immediately get documentation of the identities of the driver and passenger(s) of the other car.