THE increasing sophistication of crooks has prompted Bolton law firm Keoghs to launch two new teams within its counter-fraud unit.
The firm has seen a 40 per cent growth in the amount of work handled by the unit in the last 12 months.
Two new specialist teams will focus on first party and complex frauds to join teams already in place for motor and liability fraud, fraud rings and intelligence services.
James Heath, director of counter-fraud strategy at Keoghs, said: "As insurance fraud continues to grow dramatically and fraudsters become ever more sophisticated, it is vital that we continually renew our structure and processes and continue to invest in developing and attracting the best people in the industry.
"Tougher times are leading to more bogus claims, and the first party fraud team will look at suspicious claims made by policyholders across a range of business lines, from household and motor to commercial property and creditor insurance.
"The complex fraud team will deal with complex and high value suspicious claims including strategic litigation and the pursuit of sanctions against proven fraudsters."
The firm has seen a growth in staff to boost the busy team, including the appointment of Anthony Dale as a senior associate.
Anthony, previously head of the Manchester fraud team at DWF, has seven years' experience working for major insurers to tackle wide ranging frauds, including working alongside the police and Insurance Fraud Bureau on a number of high profile cases involving organised fraud rings.
Jill Burdett
Manchester Evening News
