Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts

What Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts does

The Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts (IFB) is a quasi-governmental, privately funded insurance fraud investigation bureau established by Massachusetts statute (St. 1990, c.338) in 1990 and headquartered at 101 Arch Street, Boston. It is the only privately funded insurance fraud bureau in the United States. IFB investigates suspected insurance fraud across automobile, workers' compensation, property, provider, and insider lines, then refers validated cases to prosecutors. Core operational products include a 24/7 confidential fraud hotline (1-800-32FRAUD), online and PDF/Word referral intake forms, the Community Insurance Fraud Initiative (CIFI) program operating at 14 sites statewide, and a public education and media center (Focus Fraud newsletter, annual reports, instructional video library). No proprietary technology platform is disclosed; intake and case management appear to be operated as standard investigation workflows backed by statutory records access from the RMV, Department of Industrial Accidents, Department of Revenue, WCRIB, and other state agencies.

IFB is funded entirely by mandatory assessments on Massachusetts automobile and workers' compensation insurers, split equally between members of the Automobile Insurers Bureau (AIB) and the Workers' Compensation Rating & Inspection Bureau (WCRIB), apportioned by direct written premium. Non-member auto and workers' comp insurers also contribute under the same formula. The bureau is governed by a 15-member board comprising state agency commissioners and five-member contingents from AIB and WCRIB. End-user segments include the Massachusetts insurance industry (mandated reporters), law enforcement and district attorneys (collaborative investigators), and the general public (tipsters). Reporting is free of charge; there is no commercial pricing model.

The organization employs 101–250 staff, referred 153 fraud cases to prosecutors in its most recent reported year, and holds reciprocal referral integrations with the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Its geographic scope is Massachusetts only, with no disclosed expansion into other states or lines of insurance funding.

Name

Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts

Legal name

Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts

Website

https://ifb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts is a quasi-governmental bureau established by statute in 1990 that investigates and refers insurance fraud cases for criminal prosecution in Massachusetts, funded by mandatory assessments on automobile and workers' compensation insurers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Fraud Investigation Services

NAICS

Claims Adjusting (524291), Other Insurance Related Activities (52429)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Fraud Investigations & Claims Support (Insurance/Financial) (BPAKAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Crime Insurance (Financial Institution & Commercial Crime) (FSAJAIAE)

Keywords

• Insurance fraud investigation
• Fraud reporting services
• Workers compensation fraud
• Auto insurance fraud
• Fraud prosecution referral

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Privately Funded by Insurers: The IFB is funded by Massachusetts automobile and workers' compensation insurers. Costs are split equally: one-half by members of the Automobile Insurers Bureau (AIB) and non-member automobile insurers, apportioned by direct written premium; one-half by members of the Workers' Compensation Rating & Inspection Bureau (WCRIB) and non-member workers' comp insurers, apportioned by direct written premium. The IFB is the only privately funded insurance fraud bureau in the United States.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts (IFB) investigates suspected incidents of insurance fraud, primarily involving automobile and workers' compensation insurance, and refers viable cases to prosecutors. It is the only privately funded insurance fraud bureau in the United States, established by Massachusetts statute in 1990 and funded through assessments on member insurers.

Product overview

IFB operates as a single integrated service offering rather than a platform product. The core offering is insurance fraud investigation and prevention services, comprising confidential fraud reporting (via hotline 1-800-32FRAUD and online forms), criminal investigation of suspected fraud cases, and prosecution referral. Supporting programs include the Community Insurance Fraud Initiative (CIFI) for localized fraud prosecution, educational resources and videos for public awareness, and an industry referral system for insurance professionals to report suspected fraud. IFB was established by Massachusetts statute in 1990 and is funded by the state's automobile and workers' compensation insurers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CIFI (Community Insurance Fraud Initiative): Community-based fraud investigation programs established in cities throughout Massachusetts to investigate and prosecute staged automobile accidents and reduce fraudulent claims.

Products and services

• Fraud Reporting Services
• Insurance Fraud Investigation Services
• Community Insurance Fraud Initiative (CIFI)
• Industry Referral and Reporting System
• Educational Resources and Videos

Quantifiable outcome

• 153 fraud cases referred to prosecutors last year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Automobile Insurers Bureau of Massachusetts (AIB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIB is a founding member organization of the IFB. Together with WCRIB, AIB was authorized by Massachusetts statute (St. 1990, c.338) to create the IFB. AIB members fund one-half of the IFB's operating costs, apportioned by direct written automobile insurance premium. AIB has five members on the IFB's 15-member governing board.
• Workers' Compensation Rating & Inspection Bureau of Massachusetts (WCRIB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCRIB is a founding member organization of the IFB. Together with AIB, WCRIB was authorized by Massachusetts statute to create the IFB. WCRIB members fund one-half of the IFB's operating costs, apportioned by direct written workers' compensation premium. WCRIB has five members on the IFB's 15-member governing board.
• Massachusetts Attorney General's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IFB refers confirmed fraud cases to the Attorney General for prosecution. The AGO also supports the Community Insurance Fraud Initiative (CIFI) program. The AGO has announced multi-million dollar fraud indictments in cases involving home health agencies, MassHealth fraud, and kickback schemes.
• Massachusetts District Attorneys and Local Police DepartmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEach Community Insurance Fraud Initiative (CIFI) is comprised of representatives from the IFB, local police departments, and prosecutors from county district attorneys' offices. This collaborative structure enables coordinated investigation and prosecution of fraud cases at the local level across the 14 CIFIs operating statewide.
• National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNICB is a trusted partner in the fight against fraud, collaborating with insurance companies, law enforcement, and consumers to combat insurance fraud and theft through intelligence, investigations, and education. IFB accepts referrals through NICB's reporting platform.
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAIC is a collective organization of state insurance regulators that promotes uniformity in insurance regulation across the U.S. IFB accepts fraud referrals through NAIC's reporting platform in addition to its own system.
• Coalition Against Insurance FraudmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Coalition Against Insurance Fraud unites and empowers private and public groups to fight insurance fraud through outreach, advocacy, and research. IFB is linked as a resource on the Coalition's website.
• Massachusetts Registry of Motor VehiclescoreOthersThe Registry of Motor Vehicles provides the IFB with access to vehicle registration and driver license records as part of fraud investigations, pursuant to the IFB enabling statute. The RMV commissioner has a seat on the IFB's 15-member governing board.
• Massachusetts Department of Industrial AccidentscoreOthersThe Department of Industrial Accidents maintains records that the IFB can access for workers' compensation fraud investigations under its enabling statute. The department's commissioner has a seat on the IFB's 15-member governing board.
• International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIASIU is a global organization that supports insurance fraud investigators by offering training, resources, and networking opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of fraud prevention and investigation efforts.
• New England Association of Insurance Fraud Investigators (NEAIFI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEAIFI is a regional organization dedicated to supporting insurance fraud investigators in the New England area through educational resources, networking opportunities, and training to enhance fraud prevention and detection skills.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• New Jersey Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor: State-level office dedicated to investigating and prosecuting auto, health, workers' comp, and other insurance fraud in New Jersey. Operates as a quasi-governmental fraud investigation body comparable to IFB but under a different statutory and prosecutorial framework.
• Florida Division of Insurance Fraud: Florida statewide law enforcement division within the Department of Financial Services that investigates insurance fraud across all lines and refers cases for prosecution. Closest functional analog to IFB in scope and structure, just operating under different state authority and a different geographic footprint.
• National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB): National non-profit organization dedicated to combating insurance fraud and theft through intelligence, investigations, and education, partnering with insurers, law enforcement, and consumers. NICB operates at the national level doing the same type of insurance crime investigation work that IFB performs for Massachusetts, and is explicitly referenced as a reporting partner and trusted collaborator by IFB.
• Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority: Pennsylvania state agency that funds and coordinates efforts to prevent, investigate, and prosecute insurance fraud across the Commonwealth. Functions as a counterpart to IFB in adjacent state with overlapping mission and similar public-private funding governance structure.
• California Department of Insurance Fraud Division: State agency within the California Department of Insurance responsible for investigating and prosecuting insurance fraud statewide, including auto, workers' comp, health, and disability lines. Performs the same core investigative and referral function as IFB within a different (larger) state insurance market.
• Texas Department of Insurance Fraud Unit: State-level investigative unit responsible for detecting and prosecuting insurance fraud in Texas across auto, workers' comp, and property lines. Comparable to IFB in mandate and operating structure, scaled to a different geographic market and regulatory framework.
• New York State Insurance Frauds Bureau: New York Department of Financial Services division tasked with investigating and prosecuting insurance fraud across auto, property, workers' comp, and health lines. Operates the same quasi-governmental fraud investigation model as IFB in a different state, with similar statutory mandate, prosecutorial referral role, and partnership with law enforcement.

Others

• Coalition Against Insurance Fraud: National advocacy organization uniting public and private groups to fight insurance fraud through outreach, advocacy, and research. Serves as an industry-coordinating counterpart to IFB rather than a direct investigator — IFB lists the Coalition as a resource partner on its website.
• International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU): Global industry association that supports insurance fraud investigators with training, certification, and networking resources. Functions as a peer profession-support body rather than competing investigator — IFB participates as a member or partner organization.

Broad incumbents

• Allstate Insurance (Special Investigations Unit): Large national P&C insurer that maintains its own internal Special Investigations Unit (SIU) to detect and refer suspected insurance fraud, including in Massachusetts. Operates the same insurance fraud detection function as IFB but internally within a single carrier's claims operation, and refers cases to IFB under the 30-day mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts