The National Insurance Crime Bureau provided training Friday to area law enforcement at the Del Mar College and hosted by the Corpus Christi Police Departments Auto Theft Task Force to provide information to identify fraudulently altered or stolen vehicles through document review and vehicle inspection.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, insurance fraud costs 30 billion dollars per year which is passed onto the insurance customers. The objective for the day long class was to equip law enforcement officers with the ability to decode and detect fraudulent Vehicle Identification Numbers.

ThNational Insurance Crime Bureau is a not for profit organization formed in 1992 dedicated exclusively to fight insurance fraud and crime. The N.I.C.B. has membership of over 1,000 property and insurance companies, self insured organizations, rental car companies, parking service providers, and transportation-related firms. The N.I.C.B. provides training to law enforcement without fee. The class was taught by N.I.C.B. Agents John Mitchell and Mike Gallagher.

Law Enforcement Officers learned about the 17 character Vehicle Identification Number system. The V.I.N. is mandated by Federal regulations as the primary identification number for all vehicles made after 1981.

The N.I.C.B. has the goal to provide the training to the law enforcement officers today to prevent and combat insurance fraud and crime through data analytics, investigations, and public awareness.

As part of the public awareness campaign, the public may use the N.I.C.B.s  VINCheck program for no fee. The VINCheck program allows the public to determine if a vehicle has been reported stolen and not recovered or reported as salvaged. Visit the N.I.C.B. website https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/vincheck/vincheck for more information.