Insurance Investigators
I. JOB SUMMARY
Main Topic: Environment and Society
Secondary Topic: Places and Regions
Overview: Insurance investigators evaluate insurance claims that an insurance company believe may be fraudulent or criminal. They determine if there is insurance fraud and the severity of the fraud. This fraud can vary from overstating damage to complicated fraud rings. Like private investigators, they tend to work in the field doing investigations. As a job that does surveillance and needs to understand hazards, people with a background in geography would do well in evaluating claims. Investigators may have to follow workers to investigate a workers’ compensation claim or they may have to follow up on damage from a fire to determine if it was arson. They will have to write reports and may have to testify in court for the insurance company. Investigators will need to use technology and their research skills to complete work tasks.
Geographers at work: Business geographers, Human geographers
Recommended College Courses: Introduction to Physical Geography, Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems, Urban Geography, Community and Regional Planning, Economic Geography, Cultural and Political Ecology, Environmental Hazards, Cities and Urban Design
Skills: Geospatial technology, Environmental modeling and mapping, Human resource management, Field methods, Local Geography
Occupation Group: Business and Financial
Learn more about Insurance investigators from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/claims-adjusters-appraisers-examiners-and-investigators.htm#tab-2
Written by Alisa Hartsell
II. POWERFUL GEOGRAPHIC KNOWLEDGE