National Insurance Crime Bureau Partners With U.S. Postal Inspectors to Fight Insurance Crime

Intelligence Sharing, Data Analysis Key to Organizations’ Success

DES PLAINES, Ill., Aug. 19, 2020 — The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the insurance industry’s association dedicated to predicting, preventing, and prosecuting insurance crime, recommitted to a partnership with the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to further strengthen the long-standing relationship between the two organizations. NICB Special Agents regularly work with U.S. Postal Inspectors and insurance providers to fight insurance-related fraud and crime. The USPIS is the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service which combats crimes that affect or fraudulently use the U.S. Mail or postal system. 

In a recent meeting held in Washington, D.C., NICB President and CEO David Glawe and USPIS Chief Gary Barksdale stressed the need for a strong, collaborative relationship between the two organizations, with the ultimate goal of identifying and combating a variety of insurance crime and fraud matters. 

As a former Postal Inspector himself Glawe also expressed his respect and admiration of the mission of USPIS and believes NICB has much to contribute.

“I had the honor to serve as a Postal Inspector in Denver, Colorado, so I’m well-aware of the important role the U.S. Postal Inspection Service plays in preventing and prosecuting crimes that impact the mail system. We believe NICB’s capabilities will further empower this critical organization to help protect the public and prevent an untold amount of loss.”

Glawe and Barksdale specifically discussed the importance of intelligence sharing, data analytics, and the collaborative engagement of field-level investigators as the keys to success for the organizations.     

“The NICB and the Postal Inspectors have a long history of working to bring down fraud rings,” said Glawe. “Our meeting was an opportunity to meet with Chief Barksdale and Deputy Chief Craig Goldberg to reaffirm our commitment to working together while also solidifying the resources NICB brings to bear to assist Postal Inspectors with criminal investigations.”   

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has been safeguarding consumers and investigating fraud schemes for over 100 years,” said Barksdale. “Partnerships like the one we have with NICB are vital for information sharing and collaboration. Together, we combat insurance fraud schemes and protect the American public.”

Glawe, who previously served as the Department of Homeland Security Undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis, took over the reigns as the NICB President and CEO in June 2020.  During the meeting, Glawe and NICB Chief Operating Officer Tim Slater shared their vision for building NICB’s capabilities to better serve the industry and partners like the USPIS.

“NICB is focusing on ‘predictive analysis’ capabilities,” said Glawe. “We’re using cutting-edge data analysis along with a focus on varied intelligence sources to identify large scale insurance fraud and crime rings before they become fully operational. By improving the prediction of criminal behavior and identifying high-risk areas, we can make more of an impact on the prevention and prosecution of individuals involved in these crimes. And ultimately, we know our efforts are helping protect people who are more often targeted for fraud, such as the elderly and other at-risk individuals.”