Crawford & Company has strengthened its personal accident and fraud investigations team in Malaysia by appointing Murugan Kuppusamy, a loss adjuster with 15 years of industry experience.
Kuppusamy’s background includes expertise in personal accident, bodily injury, fraud detection, theft, and motor claims.
Nathan Hannah, managing director of Crawford Malaysia, stated that this expansion is a strategic move in response to the increasing volume of personal accident claims.
“We are seeing more and more personal accident claims come through the doors, often involving multiple insurers, which may be a reflection of the current economic situation,” he said.
According to Hannah, economic pressures often lead to a rise in fraudulent claims, making the need for skilled investigators more critical.
“In times like this, we often see an increase in inflated or fraudulent claims as people struggle to keep up with the cost of living. Too often, personal accident and fraud investigations go hand in hand,” he said.
Hannah also addressed the ongoing challenge of attracting talent in the industry, stressing the importance of experienced professionals.
“Excellent people who are highly skilled at their craft are essential; our business relies on talented people who work efficiently, reduce indemnity spend and expert spend, and ensure faster claim lifecycles to drive down the costs for our clients and to improve the claim journey for the insured,” he said.
Kuppusamy expressed his decision to join Crawford, citing the company’s strong global reputation for maintaining compliance and professionalism.
“When working for an international company, you know there will be the highest standards of compliance and professionalism, and that’s what the insurance industry wants and demands. Therefore, I want to work for a brand that is committed to those things,” he said.
In his new role leading the investigations division, Kuppusamy aims to tackle the issue of fraudulent claims, which he believes are on the rise due to a perceived lack of enforcement.
“I have a passion for investigation and problem solving, as well as training up new adjusters and finding ways to keep them engaged and interested, so I am very excited to take on this leadership role as head of the division,” he said. “Whether it’s real or not, there is a perception around a lack of punishment or consequences around fraudulent claims in Malaysia, which I believe increases the number of fraudulent claims in the industry.”
Kuppusamy joined Crawford following the appointments in Malaysia and Middle East as part of the company’s commitment to expanding its expertise and improving its service offerings in both regions.
