Oklahoma’s top insurance watchdog says artificial intelligence is turning into a powerful new weapon for scammers, and it is already hitting regular policyholders in the wallet.
Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready warned Wednesday that AI-fueled insurance fraud in Oklahoma has nearly tripled over the past two years, as criminals lean on fake receipts, doctored medical records and deepfake videos to juice bogus claims. State officials say the spike is already straining claims systems and could eventually push premiums higher for everyday customers. The warning came alongside a new state release aimed at helping consumers recognize synthetic evidence before it slips into the system.
In a July 22 press release, the Oklahoma Insurance Department said Mulready is “sounding the alarm” and cited industry analysis that shows AI-assisted insurance scams climbing sharply in recent years. He is urging Oklahomans to treat surprise calls, texts or emails from supposed insurers with caution and to verify any documents or requests through official channels instead of trusting whatever lands in an inbox.
AI Tools Scammers Are Using
According to one breakdown highlighted by state officials, investigators are now seeing a menu of AI-generated evidence in claims files: fake receipts and invoices account for 34% of cases, fabricated medical documents for 28%, AI-generated damage photos for 19%, deepfake video “proof” for 12% and forged ID documents for 7%. Those figures, along with an estimate that annual insurance fraud losses top $308 billion, come from the AI Insurance Fraud Statistics 2026 report.
Regulators say that cocktail of synthetic evidence makes it much harder to tell a legitimate claim from a polished fake, especially when AI tools can match fonts, lighting and even camera angles in seconds.
Insurers Scramble To Detect Deepfakes
On the other side of the equation, insurance companies are rushing to bolt new defenses onto their claims systems, including image forensics, document-authenticity scoring and layered AI detection tools. The problem, according to regulators, is that the ability to create convincing forgeries is still moving faster than the ability to catch them, which leaves adjusters playing a kind of digital whack-a-mole.
Verisk's State of Insurance Fraud study found that nearly every insurer surveyed now views AI-powered editing tools as a major driver of digital insurance fraud. Respondents also reported that manipulated photos, videos and documents are getting more sophisticated over time, which raises the bar for what counts as “suspicious” in a claims file.
How Mulready Says Consumers Should Protect Themselves
Mulready’s office is trying to keep the advice simple enough for anyone with a policy to follow:
- Be skeptical of unexpected calls, emails or texts about your insurance.
- Verify any forms, links or requests by contacting your insurer directly using a phone number or website you trust.
- Never alter or "touch up" claim photos before you send them in.
- Hang on to original receipts and paperwork for anything you might eventually claim.
The Oklahoma Insurance Department is also asking consumers to report suspicious claims or activity, saying those tips help regulators and carriers spot patterns that might stretch across multiple providers or policyholders.
Legal Risks And Enforcement
State officials are reminding Oklahomans that this is not a victimless cyber prank. Deliberately filing a false insurance claim in Oklahoma is a criminal offense that can lead to prison time, steep fines or both. False or fraudulent insurance claims are treated as felonies, with penalties laid out in state statute and detailed by Justia.
Regulators say the rapid rise of AI-driven synthetic evidence means both consumers and carriers will have to get more disciplined about verifying information as the technology spreads. For now, Mulready’s core message stays the same: verify what you are told, keep your original documents and speak up if something about a claim does not look quite right.
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