The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) held the first meeting of the Texas Insurance Fraud Task Force on Monday.

The task force is a coordinated effort launched at Gov. Greg Abbott's direction to clamp down on insurance fraud and better protect Texas consumers from higher costs.

Governor Abbott directed TDI in August to put consumers first and take action under existing authority to make home and auto insurance more affordable. Creation of the Insurance Fraud Task Force was one of the directed actions.

As the second-largest insurance market in the nation, Texas is an attractive target for increasingly sophisticated insurance fraud schemes. Last year, TDI's Fraud Unit received more than 20,000 reports of suspected fraud.

The task force brings together 63 representatives from law enforcement, the insurance industry, consumer groups, and other partners to strengthen the state's response to insurance fraud.

"Fraud isn't abstract - it's personal," said Insurance Commissioner Amanda Crawford. "Behind every report is a family, a business, or a community that felt the impact. Every fraudulent claim paid raises costs for honest Texans."

The new task force will:

• Coordinate statewide insurance fraud investigations.
• Share intelligence on fraud trends and schemes.
• Develop consumer guidelines to prevent fraud, especially after natural disasters.
• Expand public outreach through training, webinars, and community engagement.

Texans can report suspected insurance fraud online or by calling TDI's Help Line at 800-252-3439.