Investigative
Services

Équité Association’s experienced team is helping protect Canadian insurers and their customers by enhancing and enabling cross-insurer investigations.
You can’t solve a puzzle without the pieces
In collaboration with law enforcement, government agencies, and Canadian insurers, our teams aggregate all of the data needed to move investigations forward in a swift manner.
Auto Theft Services

One of Équité’s objectives is the disruption of organized crime groups involved in auto theft and fraud. The timely recovery of stolen vehicles ensures members can subrogate a loss quickly. We collaborate with member companies and law enforcement to investigate vehicle theft, including identifying and recovering stolen vehicles. We also provide the following support:

Trained investigators to identify stolen vehicles and parts, who can provide evidence as expert witnesses in court.
Conduct investigations into vehicle theft crime rings.
Assistance to law enforcement when search warrants are executed. 
Provide an industry impact statement that explains the effect of vehicle theft on society to be used by Crown prosecutors to support strong sentencing. 
Vehicle Identification & Recovery

At the request of our member companies or law enforcement, our investigators (who are subject matter experts) examine suspected stolen vehicles to determine their true identity. Équité investigators are available to assist law enforcement identify crime vehicles captured on photo or video surveillance. 

Our investigators also create reports on each make and model produced in various regions in Canada. These reports are used by partners who produce materials available to law enforcement.

Ports Recovery

Équité focuses on stopping stolen vehicles from being shipped out of Canada. Our investigators work with the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and law enforcement at ports across Canada. Intelligence driven examinations by CBSA are augmented by vehicle examinations, VIN verification and insurance data by our investigators, leading to seizures of stolen or fraudulently financed vehicles that are destined for export.

Cargo Theft and Recovery

Équité maintains Canada’s only cargo theft database with information on stolen trucks, trailers, cargo and heavy equipment. The cargo theft database, with 24 hours secure online access, provides intelligence to law enforcement, the insurance industry and the trucking industry. This information is invaluable to law enforcement who work to identify and recover large quantities of stolen property before we work to return the recovered property to our members and rightful owners.

Repatriation of Exported Stolen Vehicles

When exported stolen vehicles are identified overseas, we offer assistance to our members in making an organized return of the vehicles. Once the member authorizes the return of their vehicle(s), we collaborate with our partners (domestic and international) to bring these vehicles back to Canada.

Vehicle Branding

The vehicle branding service streamlines provincial registration transfer procedures for Équité members, who are required by law to transfer vehicle registration into their name after any total-loss claims settlement. 

Vehicle History Research

We assist members to underwrite and insure vehicles correctly by researching vehicle histories on their behalf through Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), the Quebec ministry responsible for vehicle registration. 

Other Équité Products & Services
Advanced Analytics & Countermeasures
Through integrated advanced analytics and investigations, we analyze data across insurers to identify fraud cases that would otherwise go undetected.
Reporting & Emerging Trends
Through our analytics, we provide reporting services to demonstrate each member’s fraud levels relative to industry and monitor recent insurance fraud and crimes to identify emerging trends.