Insurance Claims to be Tested by Lie Detector

Albanach writes "HBOS, one of the largest UK banks is to introduce random lie detector analysis of insurance claims according to this article from the Edinburgh Evening News. The three month trial will see calls from its 1.5 million policy holders randomly subjected to voice stress analysis. Those flagged up will then receive a set of questions designed to expose 'potential fraudsters'."

Comments

Silly

[grennis]

Wouldn't it be natural to have stress in your voice if something has happened in your life causing you to file an insurance claim?

Re:Silly

[ihummel]

And some people (like me) would find any such interrogation stressful.

It's a Manipulation Tactic

[Greenisus]

Lie detectors are not effective. This is just being used to scare people into thinking they can't lie.

Re:Yea right, I'm sure

[oniony]

I really don't believe they would be allowed to do this without prior consent. Calls are typically prefixed with a "this call may be recorded for training purposes" but I doubt they would be able to do the same thing for detecting fraud.

More likely, one would have to consent in writing which they may offer a reduced premium to encourage people to sign up. (In reality, the money they save will possibly not be passed on: instead the 'reduced premium' could end up as being the usual price and those not signing up will pay a penalty).

This is news?

[henbane]

So insurance companies have found yet another way to bog down any legitimate claim you might have so they can keep the inflated premiums they took off you.

Any time they come up with BS like this they always claim it will lower premiums and give some inflated figure of how much fraudulent claims are costing them, but who is to say how many of those fraudulent claims are not just the companies finding a loophole to screw anybody who makes a claim.

Can't stand them, they have a business model where everybody has to give them money and they resent anybody with a legitimate claim to it.