From 2010 to 2012, the number of Florida questionable claims (QCs) logged by National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) member companies increased 23 percent, according to a new report from the Des Plaines, Ill.-based nonprofit organization. Perhaps the most alarming finding is the dramatic 55-percent surge in QCs in southern Florida during that time, with the Miami metro area leading the state.

If an NICB member company deems a claim suspicious—as in it meets the criteria of a QC—it submits that claim to the NICB for closer review and investigation. In order for this to happen, a QC must exhibit one or more indicators of possible fraud. A single claim may contain as many as seven referral reasons. This most recent report analyzes QCs by loss city, core-based statistical area (CBSA), policy type, loss type, policy and loss type combined and referral reasons. 

Hotbeds of Suspicion