Every year I take calls from Ontario employers and insurers who suspect a workplace injury claim isn’t what it seems. The worker says they can’t lift, bend, or stand — but something doesn’t add up. Maybe a co-worker mentioned seeing them at the gym. Maybe the timeline of the “injury” is a little too convenient.
Here’s what actually happens when a WSIB fraud investigation gets underway — and what most people get wrong about it.
It starts with the file, not with surveillance
A good investigation doesn’t begin by following someone. It begins with paper: the claim details, the medical reports, the employer’s incident records, and any existing statements. You’re looking for inconsistencies first — dates that don’t line up, restrictions that contradict the reported mechanism of injury, a recovery timeline that defies the medical evidence.
Surveillance without this groundwork is just expensive wandering.
Surveillance is legal — but it has rules
This is the part people misunderstand most. In Ontario, surveillance of a claimant in public places is lawful. An investigator can document what someone does at a grocery store, on a job site, or in their front yard — anywhere there’s no reasonable expectation of privacy.
What we can’t do: trespass, peer into windows, record private conversations, or harass. The line is clear, and any investigator who crosses it doesn’t just risk the file — they risk their licence. I run a licensed agency, and I hold that line on every file, no exceptions.
What we’re actually documenting
Forget the dramatic image of catching someone red-handed carrying a sofa. Most WSIB surveillance is quieter than that — and more effective. We’re documenting activity levels over days: how long someone stands, how they move, whether the restrictions they reported match what the camera sees.
A single clip rarely tells the story. A pattern does. Three days of someone moving freely while claiming total incapacity is worth more than one dramatic moment.
The report is the product
Here’s what separates a professional investigation from a wasted retainer: the report. Everything we gather — video, timestamps, activity logs — gets compiled into a clear, chronological, court-ready document. If the matter goes to a WSIB appeals tribunal or civil court, that report has to stand up under scrutiny from the other side’s lawyer.
Sloppy notes, missing timestamps, or gaps in the chain of documentation can sink an otherwise solid file. I treat every report as if it will be cross-examined, because sometimes it is.
When to call an investigator
The best time to bring in a PI is early — when the red flags first appear, not months later when memories have faded and the paper trail has gone cold. If you’re an employer, HR professional, or insurer in the GTA dealing with a questionable claim, a short confidential conversation costs nothing and can save a great deal.
Aaron Gopnik-Ramshaw is the owner of Fine Line Investigations, a licensed private investigations firm serving Toronto and the GTA. The firm handles surveillance, WSIB matters, background checks, locates, and corporate investigations — discreet, documented, and court-ready.
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