Artificial intelligence-powered editing tools are becoming a routine part of digital life, and data analytics and technology provider Verisk reports that their growing use is now influencing behaviour within insurance claims.
In its latest Verisk State of Insurance Fraud study, the company states that 36% of consumers would consider altering a claim image or document even if doing so breached insurer rules.
Verisk adds that insurers are simultaneously recording a sharp increase in manipulated media, with 98% agreeing that AI-driven editing tools are contributing to a rise in digital insurance fraud.
Verisk explains that it commissioned the research to assess how artificial intelligence is reshaping risk, decision-making and outcomes across the insurance landscape. The company presents its findings as evidence that technological capability is not only changing how claims are handled,…
THE ISUZU MOTORS PAYROLL FRAUD (GQEBERHA, SA)
Date: February 16, 2026 Perpetrator: Natasja Slabbert (42)
Case Description: In a case that hit home for the Eastern Cape business community, Natasja Slabbert, a payroll administrator at Isuzu Motors South Africa’s Struandale plant, was arrested for an alleged R10.5 million fraud. The scheme, which began surfacing in late 2024, exploited the very systems designed to manage employee compensation. Slabbert allegedly manipulated payroll records to create false entries that appeared as legitimate deductions and contributions on employee payslips. In reality, these “deductions” were being diverted into her personal bank account.
The fraud was only uncovered after diligent employees noticed that their net “take-home” pay was significantly lower than expected, despite the gross amounts on their payslips remaining high. Following a thorough probe by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team and the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, it was discovered that in August 2024 alone, over R626,000 was unlawfully transferred. Slabbert was granted bail of R5,000 on February 17, 2026, and the case has been postponed to later in the month for further legal proceedings. This case highlights the critical need for “segregation of duties” in payroll departments, as a single point of failure allowed for the systematic siphoning of millions over nearly two years.
Link to Original: PE Express – Isuzu Payroll Fraud