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May 20, 2004 -- Insurance companies using lie detecting software

About one in four people think it’s okay to cheat their homeowner or auto insurance company. Clark is stunned by that news. He has dealt with insurance representatives who assume that most people who submit claims are being dishonest. But maybe they have a reason to be cynical about it. The sad part is that when something legitimate happens, you’ll be guilty until proven innocent. In Britain, insurance agents are using voice recognition software to determine if you are lying. The caller is withdrawing one out of every eight claims, as a result. It’s so valuable to insurers that they are paying as much as $35 per phone call. The software found that about 70 percent of people were telling the truth, meaning that 30 percent were being dishonest. But when the agents checked further, they found that one third were actually telling the truth. So, the system should be used as a fact checker, not as an ironclad system. So what is happening in the States? Two insurers - one in California and one in Illinois - are about to start testing the software on customers. The industry is not revealing which companies those are, but in many states insurers have a right to record you without your knowledge. So in these “one party states,” you could be tested and not know it. So, don’t lie!

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What others are saying

  • They lapsed my homeowners insurance and holding my money to buy there insurance
    I contacted Marybeth at countrywide about my escrow money and why I didn't have insurance. We had an agreement last Oct that I would pay more so as to pay for my insurance and taxes. Which today 04/03 I found out that they have been holding my insurance for eight months while my receipt showed that my insurance was paid until 08/31/09. Now they want me to pay two insurance paymendts of 198.00 before they will release my money or they will install there insurance for 274.00 dollars which only pay for dwelling not contains and only if it is a fire. They are wrong for this I asked for help instant I was taken, I'm on a fixed income which is one reason I asked for the help.Now they can do anything to force me to do what I was trying to avoid being taken and living in fear what did they do with my money she said they were going to hold it, is that right
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