So the bottom line is that we have no real grip on fraud losses; we just know the figure is astronomical, a figure that we've arrived at through “careful” projection. Like that makes any of us in the industry feel better. Furthermore, the estimate is steadily rising. Even adjusting for inflation, it's clear we're not making much headway in the battle against fraud.

But we can't give up. For every fraudster who's caught, 10 others develop even more ingenious schemes. They say it's so easy because these are victimless crimes (the fact that the industry in general and consumers in particular are footing the bill doesn't seem to sink in with fraudsters). They say it is somewhat justified because premiums are outrageous. Well yes, in some cases they are. But nobody seems to have figured out why. Hint: there are between 80 billion and 130 billion reasons why.

And unfortunately there's no easy fix. We have a plethora of fraud-tracking tools, and if you think they aren't helping in the fight, just consider how much more we might be losing without them. But we need more than these tools. We need your vigilance and awareness. You are on the front lines in this serious, ongoing battle. And most importantly, we need to keep all the communication lines open since shared information can be a lethal weapon to counteract fraud.

There are a number of special features in this issue regarding fraud. In addition, we've included our special Crackdown! supplement, which reports on nothing but fraud and how we're faring in this important fight. Bottom line: we can never give up. The alternative to winning this battle is too mind-boggling to even contemplate.