Fraud Prevention - The Investigations Department

The National Insurance Institute operates a nationwide investigation network with about 130 investigators who try to locate and expose fraud and to prevent exploitation of NII funds. The investigators locate and act against both benefit recipients who have received their benefits by presenting false information and employers who evade paying insurance contributions for their workers as obliged by law.

These investigations make use of NII data bases and an intelligence network based on information received from the public that exposes instances of fraud against the Institute.

The NII investigators have the authority to conduct investigations under the Criminal Procedure Ordinance. The findings of the investigations and testimony indicating suspected fraud charges are transferred to the National Unit for Economic Crime of the Israel Police Force.

To date, hundreds of indictments have been filed against claimants who received benefits fraudulently. Penalties imposed by the courts indicate the severity with which the courts view transgressions of the National Insurance Law.

The National Insurance Institute believes that the existence of an effective investigations system whose findings lead to filing charges will eventually lead to punishment of offenders and create a deterrent against those who try to obtain benefits fraudulently.