How insurers can tell if claim photos and repair estimates were altered
To tell whether claim evidence was altered, get it signed at the source and check it against the original. Ask policyholders to use a capture app that records when and where a photo was taken, compare images with earlier copies online, use image forensics on suspicious files, and confirm repair estimates with the shop that issued them. Allianz and Zurich reported in 2024 that cases of edited images, videos and documents in claims had risen about 300 percent in a year, most of them in motor insurance.
The Trust Identity Protocol (TIP) by The AI Lab lets the people who create claim documents sign them. An inspector, adjuster, contractor or repair shop with a verified TIP-ID signs each photo set, inspection report and estimate as it is made. The record shows who signed it, when and a fingerprint, so a claims handler can check for free that the file they received matches what the inspector or shop actually produced.
The problem
Claim evidence that gets altered
| Where | What goes wrong |
|---|---|
| Damage photos | Dents, cracks or water damage added to real photos with editing apps or AI tools. |
| Repair estimates and invoices | Amounts changed, or estimates invented under a real shop's name. |
| Third-party inspection reports | Reports from outside inspectors edited before they reach the insurer. |
| Supporting documents | Receipts, valuations and proof of ownership forged or edited. |
Every option, honestly
What each option does, and where it stops
These work together. Use more than one, and read the last column for each, including ours.
| Option | What it does | Where it stops |
|---|---|---|
| Image forensics and AI detection | Looks for signs of editing in pixels and metadata. | An arms race, and clean edits or re-saved images often pass. |
| Controlled capture apps | Record time, place and device when a photo is taken inside the app. | Cover only photos taken in that app, not estimates and reports from other parties. |
| C2PA Content Credentials | Attach signed provenance data to a file from supporting cameras and software. | The metadata can be stripped, and most devices and repair shops do not produce it yet. |
| Special investigation units | Investigate suspicious claims in depth. | Expensive, so they handle only flagged claims. |
| Trust Identity Protocol (TIP) by The AI Lab | Lets inspectors, contractors and shops sign photos, reports and estimates to a verified TIP-ID, with a date and a fingerprint anyone can check. | Does not prove the damage is real or the price is fair. It proves who submitted a document and whether it changed after they signed it. |
Step by step
How to put it in place, in order
- List the documents in your claims process that come from outside parties, such as inspections, estimates, invoices and photos.
- Ask your network of inspectors, adjusters and approved repair shops to get TIP-IDs and sign what they submit.
- At intake, check each signed file against its TIP record, and route unsigned or mismatched files for review.
- Keep your capture app and forensic checks for policyholder photos.
- Record the TIP check in the claim file, so the evidence trail holds up in a dispute.
About TIP
What the Trust Identity Protocol is
The Trust Identity Protocol (TIP) is an open standard from The AI Lab for proving who made a piece of content and whether it has changed. A person or organization is verified once by an accredited Verification Provider and gets a TIP-ID. Each time they sign something, their own device signs it with a post-quantum signature (ML-DSA-65, NIST FIPS 204) after a fresh fingerprint or Face ID, and the TIP Network records the signature, the time, an origin label and a fingerprint of the content. Anyone can check a record for free, with no account.
TIP does not detect deepfakes, does not stop copying and does not decide whether content is true. It proves who stands behind a piece of content and whether a copy matches the original. It is governed in the open by the AI Trust Council, and the specification is public on GitHub. Signed content is called a Verifiable Asset.
Questions
Questions people ask
How do insurers detect edited photos in claims?
With a mix of image forensics, reverse image searches that find the original photo online, capture apps that record when and where a photo was taken, and investigators for suspicious cases. Signing documents at the source on the Trust Identity Protocol (TIP) by The AI Lab adds a simple check, which is whether the file matches what the signer actually produced.
What is a shallowfake insurance claim?
A claim backed by real photos, videos or documents that have been edited with ordinary editing tools, for example adding damage to a car photo or changing an invoice amount. Insurers reported a sharp rise in these cases in 2024.
Does TIP tell an insurer the damage is real?
No. TIP proves who signed a document and whether it has changed since. A photo of staged damage, signed honestly, is still staged. TIP removes one kind of fraud, the edited file, and makes the signer accountable for what they submitted.
Do policyholders need a TIP-ID?
No. The strongest use is with professionals who submit documents often, such as inspectors, adjusters and repair shops. A policyholder can sign their own photos if they want to, and checking any record is free.
What is the Trust Identity Protocol?
The Trust Identity Protocol (TIP) is an open standard from The AI Lab for proving who made a piece of content and whether it has changed. A person or organization is verified once by an accredited Verification Provider and gets a TIP-ID. Each time they sign something, their own device signs it with a post-quantum signature, and the TIP Network records who signed it, when, how it was made (Original Human, AI-Assisted, AI-Generated or Mixed) and a fingerprint of the content. Anyone can check the record for free.
What does TIP cost an organization?
Checking any TIP record is free for everyone, with no account. Signing is free for individuals, nonprofits, schools and universities, government bodies, journalism organizations for editorial use and businesses under USD 100,000 in annual revenue. Larger businesses use a published commercial license, with every tier listed at theailab.org/tip-license.
SourcesPetaPixel, reporting Allianz and Zurich figures, May 2024, C2PA, about
Other use cases
Where else TIP helps
- Hiring and recruiting
- Students and academic integrity
- Certificates and credentials
- Freight and logistics
- Newsrooms and journalism
- Archives, libraries and museums
- Research publishing
- Creators and creator platforms
- Banks and finance teams
- Agencies, brands and marketing
- Referral, rewards and marketplaces
- All use cases