2026 Workshop Highlights 

(Subject to Change)

Conference Space North and South Tower Map-Tropicana.pdf

Keynote Speaker:  Robert Horst Esq of Horst Krekstein Runyon

Workshops Highlights

Fraud, Trauma & Bias: Behavioral Analysis for SIU Investigators 

Presenter:  Garrett Boeckeler (Becker & Company)

Workshop Description:  Property fraud investigations are rarely just about evidence, timelines, and documentation. Human behavior plays a critical role in how claims are reported, investigated, and ultimately evaluated.

This presentation explores the psychological and sociological factors that influence claimant behavior during property claims, including stress responses, trauma-related inconsistencies, rationalization, external influences, and behavioral indicators commonly encountered in SIU investigations. Attendees will also examine the impact of cognitive bias on investigators themselves and learn how tunnel vision, confirmation bias, and assumptions can create significant investigative and legal risk.

Using real-world investigative concepts and practical SIU applications, this session will help attendees better distinguish between trauma-driven behavior, exaggeration, and intentional fraud while maintaining ethical, objective, and defensible investigative practices.

Topics include:

•           Stress impacts on memory and reporting

•           Trauma vs. fraud behavioral differences

•           Cognitive bias and tunnel vision in SIU investigations

•           Sociological and external influences on claims

•           Behavioral and claim pattern indicators

•           Exaggeration vs. staged fraud

•           Building defensible, objective investigations

This session is designed for SIU investigators, adjusters, attorneys, claims professionals, and anyone involved in fraud detection and complex property claims investigations.

Third Party Litigation Funding (TPLF) and How it's Driving Insurance Fraud       

Presenters:  Nicholas Hamm and Rosalyn Blake (New Jersey Property-Liability Insurance Guaranty Association)

Workshop Description:  Third‑Party Litigation Funding (TPLF) is quietly reshaping claims, medical treatment, and settlement strategy. This session opens that hidden ecosystem—how funding drives treatment escalation, influences legal tactics, and inflates exposure long before litigation. Attendees will work through real case patterns, participate in red‑flag spotting, and compare jurisdictional experiences. We’ll share practical tactics you can apply immediately: analytics to detect provider outliers and abnormal care sequences; questions to surface funding influence; and collaboration models that connect SIU, claims, bill review, analytics, and counsel. Highly interactive by design, the session invites discussion on what “normal” care looks like when external money is at play, and how to intervene earlier without over‑processing files. You’ll leave with a clear field guide to TPLF‑linked indicators and simple data checks that strengthen investigative effectiveness on day one.

Conducting Effective, Professional, and Ethical Evidence-Based Investigative Interviews for Insurance Fraud 

Presenter:  Keith Zupec (Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates)

Workshop Description: This WZ presentation will focus on investigative interview techniques built on proven results. WZ training aims to identify the truth and obtain reliable information through ethical, moral, and legally acceptable techniques. Our non-confrontational methodologies are structured, conversational approaches that eliminate the conflict between interviewer and subject. By eliciting truthful, actionable information rather than seeking a confession, a WZ interview often yields greater overall results and avoids the most common causes of false confessions.

WZ offers multiple methods of interview strategy, offering the attending participant with a wide flexibility of approaches, permitting them to alter strategies depending on the level of evidence, subject considerations, and type of interview. As a world leader in non-confrontational interview practices, WZ continues to stay current and forward-thinking, building relationships with private, public, and academic partners to further evolve the educational offerings provided to our attendees.

The Power of Vehicle Data in Investigating and Deterring Auto Fraud      

Presenter:  Thomas Scheff (CARFAX)

Description:  It has never been easier to commit Auto Fraud through techniques such as VIN cloning, odometer rollback, and title washing. For claims professionals and SIUs, leveraging vehicle-specific data is crucial to effectively detecting, deterring, and investigating these fraudulent activities, as well as recovering stolen vehicles. This session will explore how harnessing vehicle-specific data can significantly enhance the effectiveness of SIUs in combating fraud. We’ll present various case studies that demonstrate the impact vehicle history data has on a claim organization’s bottom line.

Avoiding the Perils and Pitfalls of AI in Insurance Fraud Investigations and Prosecutions

Presenters:  Robert A. Stern Esq, James McKenney Esq, and Lee Pinzow Esq (Manning Kass)

Workshop Description:  Recent expansion in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by law firms and their clients has resulted in a multitude of potential legal issues affecting affirmative fraud litigation.  While the use of AI provides significant efficiencies in both investigating and prosecuting fraud lawsuits, there are several concerns arising that SIU and their legal counsel need to be aware of to avoid unnecessary problems or challenges during litigation.  In particular, there are several court recent decisions being issued that are providing a roadmap as to how the judiciary views the use of AI, which can guide how SIU and counsel should employ AI in RICO lawsuits and insurance fraud matters in general.  Even more generally, with the expansion of RICO and affirmative fraud litigation, the courts are requiring heightened pleading standards that necessitate an increased level of investigation and development prior to bringing such actions.

AI and Insurance Fraud: The SIU Toolkit   

Presenter:  George Ripley (Becker & Company)

Workshop Description:  Criminals are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to fabricate identities, documents, digital photos, and evidence. They also use it to commit auto theft, fraud, extortion, and conceal various crimes. This course will provide advanced insight into the current ways criminals are using AI to commit crimes. The most commonly used Apps and AI prompts, along with demonstrations of how they are used to create fraudulent items, will be discussed.

It will explore tools that can be used by SIU to help authenticate documents, videos, and photos. Most importantly, attendees will be able to use these tools and understand how to integrate AI into today’s modern investigative landscape. From effective prompt engineering to the best practices for protecting evidence, this is a must-attend class for today’s Investigator.

Course Topics Include:

•           AI Definition and Common Terms

•           Prompt Engineering

•           NAIC Model AI Law, Legal Framework and Compliance

•           Prompts for Investigators

•           Authenticating digital photos, videos, and documents

•           Common Criminal Uses of AI

•           AI tools to combat crimes

•           Incorporating AI into your investigation

•           Ethical and Regulatory Considerations

•           Evidence Integrity and Risks

Storm Chasers and Crooked Contractors: Post-Disaster Property Fraud and What It Means for SIU           

Presenters:  Ariel C. Brownstein Esq and Matthew J. Burdalski Esq (Marshall Dennehey)

Workshop Description:  The session will detail the anatomy of a storm-chasing operation: out-of-state contractors who mobilize immediately after catastrophic events, use high-pressure door-to-door tactics on displaced or distressed homeowners, and secure Assignment of Benefits agreements that strip the insured of claim control and route proceeds directly to the contractor. From there, the session examines the full fraud playbook — manufactured or exaggerated damage, inflated scope-of-loss estimates, phantom materials and labor, and coordinated public adjuster involvement used to amplify the claim further.  Attendees will receive concrete investigative techniques tailored to post-disaster environments: how to vet contractor licensing and prior claim history across states, how to use aerial imaging and pre/post-disaster satellite data to challenge damage timelines, how to identify AOB assignment chains and their red flags, and how to coordinate with state insurance fraud bureaus and emergency management agencies for real-time intelligence. The session closes with a discussion of legislative trends in AOB reform and what NJ carriers and SIU professionals should be monitoring as storm frequency and severity continue to rise.

The Inner Competitor: Mental Toughness for Career Excellence  

Presenter:  Daniel Dodd (TriState Training)

Workshop Description:  Peak performance isn’t accidental—it’s trained. This high-impact session reveals how to harness your “inner athlete” to improve focus, endurance, and execution in your professional life. Drawing from the worlds of competitive sports and high-stakes professional situations, the presenter will share strategies to strengthen your mindset, maintain energy throughout demanding days, and consistently raise your performance standard. Walk away with tools you can apply immediately to compete—and win—in your career.

Unlock Your Potential: Mastering Strategies for Career Growth and Business Excellence in SIU

Presenters:  Aaron Goldstein and Shannon Kulnis (Travelers Insurance)

Workshop Description:  As the insurance industry evolves, so do the challenges faced by SIU, their investigators, and our law enforcement partners. Staying ahead of fraud schemes demands continuous adaptation and growth. This presentation will provide actionable strategies for SIU professionals to remain effective and relevant in combating fraud while driving the business, and their brand forward. By focusing on critical pillars, this session will equip attendees with tools to enhance their expertise, performance, and equally important, their personal brand.                      

Prescription Fraud Scheme: It's A Family Affair in New Jersey     

Presenters:  Paul McGrory (Special Agent New Jersey Field Office DHHS/OIG) and Jamie McMahon (FBI)

Workshop Description: This session involves a healthcare fraud investigation regarding the falsification of expensive, brand-name prescriptions in a scheme orchestrated by a family in New Jersey.  In this case study, the pharmacy owners submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies for expensive, brand-name drugs on behalf of themselves, family members, friends and customers of the pharmacy.  Participants in the session will learn how to identify this type of pharmaceutical fraud scheme and which investigative techniques can be leveraged in an investigation. Participants will also see how close collaboration between private insurance liaison partners and federal agencies throughout the investigation can lead to a successful prosecution.

Collision Reconstruction as a Tool for Identying Fraudulent Claims

Presenters:  Kaitlin Graham (ARCCA)

Workshop Description:  Accident reconstruction provides investigators with a scientific framework for evaluating the legitimacy of vehicle damage claims by analyzing physical evidence in conjunction with electronic vehicle data. A comprehensive inspection of the involved vehicles allows a reconstructionist to document damage profiles, paint transfers, deformation patterns, environmental damage, and alleged component failures, all of which can be analyzed to determine whether the observed damage is consistent with the reported collision or loss events. In addition to observable damages, modern vehicles contain electronic data sources, including Event Data Recorders (EDR), telematics, and manufacturer-specific datasets such as Vehicle Control History (VCH) records. This electronic data can provide objective information regarding vehicle speed, brake application, steering inputs, throttle position, seat belt usage, airbag deployment, and Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) activity. When evaluated in conjunction with the physical evidence, these electronic records allow reconstructionists to verify or refute the reported collision events and identify discrepancies between claimant statements and vehicle operation. By combining engineering principles with objective vehicle data, accident reconstructionists serve as a resource for identifying fraudulent insurance claims and distinguishing legitimate losses from fabricated or misrepresented events.

Beyond the Theft:  Auto Finance, Identity, and Insurance Fraud

Presenters:  Jarek Pyrzanowski (Special Agent, National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB))

Organized criminal groups are increasingly blending traditional auto theft with sophisticated financial fraud schemes to maximize profits and evade detection. This presentation examines how criminal enterprises exploit automobile finance fraud, identity theft, synthetic identities, insurance fraud, and cyber-enabled tactics. Attendees will learn practical investigative strategies, emerging fraud trends, and the value of intelligence sharing between the insurance industry and law enforcement.

New Jersey Insurance Fraud:  2026 Legal & Legislative Update - CLE Credit

Presenters:  Matthew Werbel Esq and Tom Mulvihill (Methfessel & Werbel)

This seminar provides a current, practice-focused review of New Jersey's insurance fraud legal landscape, with particular emphasis on recent and pending case law and its impact on the insurance industry and in particular insurance fraud.  The program will also cover related legislative activity whether pending or recently passed, and emerging compliance obligations for insurance carriers.  

Field Safety & Awareness

Presenters:  William Carter, Kymberly Smith and Valerie Johnson (Allstate Insurance)

SIU Investigators regularly face unpredictable situations while conducting fieldwork. This presentation is designed to enhance safety awareness by examining realistic scenarios encountered during scene canvasses, neighborhood inquiries, and in-person interactions. Participants will gain practical tips and best practices to help them assess risks, make informed decisions, and confidently navigate challenging situations.

The Devil in the Details (Without the Data)

Presenters:  Mallory J. Kowalczyk, Esq (Callahan & Fusco)

In affirmative insurance fraud lawsuits, medical records are often treated as supporting evidence rather than substantive proof – confirming suspected networks, predetermined referral patterns, and treatment protocols or adding a human dimension — while avoiding medical-necessity disputes and battles of experts. By contrast, in personal injury defense, those same records are historically used exclusively at the damages stage. In both contexts, SIU professionals, investigators, and attorneys may be overlooking a crucial evidentiary opportunity by failing to recognize medical records for what they can be: a roadmap for developing the narrative and, at times, direct proof of fraud.

Using an anonymized case study, this presentation follows the evidence generated by the claimant, providers, facilities, and attorneys in a single personal injury lawsuit. It examines how medical records can help overcome common obstacles in affirmative fraud litigation, including skepticism toward insurers, "bad apple” or scapegoating defenses, and reliance on medical judgment, by revealing contradictions, repetitive documentation, implausible treatment progression, undisclosed relationships, and evidence of participant knowledge, coordination, and intent.

The presentation also explores how claimant files and testimony from the companion injury action can support fraud investigations, identify targeted discovery opportunities, and connect a suspicious claim to a broader scheme. Finally, using some recent fraud and RICO complaints for reference, it demonstrates how collaboration among insurers, SIU professionals, investigators, and defense counsel can strengthen the defense of underlying claims while preserving evidence and expanding avenues for recovery for both the Insurer independent of the affirmative action and defense in the personal injury litigation.

Damage Analysis For Consistency And Detection Of Fraud

Presenters:  Michael Price (RIMKUS)

Damage Analysis for Consistency and Detection of Fraud is a one-hour course is designed to help participants determine consistency between claimed damage and accident scenarios.  This course covers federal bumper requirements and vehicle bumper systems.  Participants will learn the difference between fixed-object impact damage and vehicle-impact damage, and how to determine whether damage between two vehicles is consistent.  This course also explains how to determine whether damage was enhanced and provides a case study for reference.

The Dark Side of Bodily injury and Medical Bills in 2026

Presenters:  Lee Befeler Esq (Sullivan and Graber)

The Dark Side of Bodily Injury and Medical Bills in 2026 examines emerging fraud schemes involving bodily injury claims and medical billing practices.  Participants will gain insight into how vulnerable populations can be exploited to support fraudulent claims through falsified medical documentation, fabricated diagnoses, exaggerated injuries, and inflated treatment costs.  This session will provide real-world examples and investigative perspectives to help insurance professionals recognize red flags and identify potential fraud indicators.

Navigating Jewelry Claims

Presenters:  Andrea Fury (State Farm), Michael Gerstein Esq (Bennett, Bricklin & Saltzburg) Angelique Brelsford (J.S. Held)

This presentation addresses fraud considerations associated with personal property losses, largely centered around jewelry losses.  Topics covered will include specific reference to policies that cover jewelry, appraisal considerations for jewelry,  how such jewelry pieces are insured, and the types of fraudulent claims that arise from jewelry.  Our special guest, expert Angelique Brelsford, will specifically discuss emerging issues with lab grown diamonds.  The presentation will hopefully lead to a lively discussion of the pitfalls facing insurance carriers that engage in insuring high-valued jewelry, particularly with reference to real scenarios associated with jewelry loss claims described by Ms. Fury and Mr. Gerstein.

Hopsital No -Fault Claims and Fraudulent Referral Networks:  Legal Challenges, Investigative Strategies, and the Power of Data

Presenters: Richard E. Vuernick, Esq (Kennedy Vuernick) and Lori Smith (Pattern Analysis, CEO)

This presentation examines New Jersey hospitals’ foray into the No-Fault system and their increased filing of No-Fault claims.  We first provide a background on hospitals’ role in New Jersey, both as healthcare providers and as one of the drivers of the State’s economy, and examine the types of No-Fault claims for which hospitals have been seeking payment.  Not surprisingly, many of these claims look like the same ones SIUs review and examine from Ambulatory Surgery Centers (“ASC”).  We then discuss why some traditional defenses may be ineffective at arbitration and examine the types of schemes and relationships that hospitals have been employing to bring more No-Fault claims into their facilities and connected medical networks.  We discuss how hospitals can become more than simply the source of a claim, and, in some cases, serve as a gateway for patients into broader fraudulent medical networks involving chiropractors, PT providers, pain management providers, among others. We will examine how these relationships and referral patterns can reveal connections that may not be apparent when individual claims or providers are reviewed in isolation.

Finally, we focus on the use of data as an investigative tool. We discuss the types of data available to SIUs, including claims, billing, payment, referral, and provider data, as well as other publicly available information, and the patterns and relationships that can be identified through a thorough and systematic analysis. We will demonstrate how data can be used at each stage of an investigation: to identify unusual providers, patients, services, and relationships at the outset; to develop and test investigative theories as a case progresses; and to quantify, corroborate, and demonstrate patterns of conduct when building a case against a hospital, provider or network.

Driving Change:  How AI Has Upended Investigations 

Presenters:  Joe Stephenson (Lemieux Associates) 

Driving Change: How AI Has Upended Investigations is an eye‑opening session that pulls back the curtain on how today’s most powerful AI tools are reinventing investigative work. From prompt‑engineering tricks to real world demos using Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini, and more, this class shows claims professionals how to supercharge their analysis, automate tedious tasks, uncover hidden patterns, and even generate custom programs for complex workflows, all while just carrying on a conversation. You’ll see AI agents in action, explore cutting‑edge deep research capabilities, and walk away with practical techniques you can immediately use to work smarter, faster, and with sharper insight. This is not theory, it's a hands on look at how AI is transforming claims investigations right now.

Following the Digital Footprint:  New Tools and Tactics for SIU INvestigations

Presenters:  Scott Newkirk and Gary Markowitz (Verisk)

The session will also examine emerging threats such as AI-generated and manipulated media, discuss their impact on claims investigations, and review practical strategies for validating digital evidence. Attendees will leave with actionable insights into today's evolving fraud environment and some strategies available to combat them.