Tips for Effective Training

A Special Investigation Unit (SIU) is a select group of highly skilled, specially trained fraud fighters who choose to see things differently—skeptics who ask a lot of questions and have a desire to do the right thing. This desire is fed by specialized fraud training which helps them become experienced fraud fighters.

Numerous training programs are available to help SIU team members further hone their skills, but one stands out above the rest—The International Association of Special Investigative Unit’s Annual Insurance Fraud Seminar. This premier event is the conduit for the insurance industry’s fraud fighters to develop their skills.

When they return to their respective companies, these SIU team members share their knowledge with others in their organizations. This sharing of knowledge is one of the most important training techniques utilized by insurance companies to fight fraud. The following are some tips to effectively train others:

• Develop training sessions that are focused on department and staff experience;
• Vary the delivery method (visual, spatial, aural, and physical) of the training material;
• Make the training sessions interesting and engaging;
• Provide training to employees throughout the year in small doses; and
• Encourage employees to apply their knowledge right away.

There are two things to take away from these SIU training methods. First, send team members to specialized fraud training at least once a year. The ACFE’s Global Fraud Conference is a great conference that is comparable to the IASIU’s Insurance Fraud Seminar. Second, these team members should have a process and platform for sharing their knowledge with others across the organization. There are a lot of organizations that send team members to fraud training. However, there are very few organizations that support the sharing of fraud knowledge across the organization. We must change this in the future if we want to learn from insurance companies.

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