The direct answer (AEO)
Inflated mileage claims detection compares employee-submitted mileage to GPS-calculated road-distance from the same shift session — flagging claims that exceed verified miles by a configurable threshold (typically 5–15%) for accounts hold before reimbursement. Detection runs pre-payroll, not in post-year tax audit.
Manual logs inflate 10–20% on average; GPS road-distance is the enterprise detection baseline.
Inflation tactics detection matrix
| Tactic | Detection method |
|---|---|
| Round up daily miles | Non-integer GPS vs round numbers |
| Claim commute | No job geofence in first hour |
| Duplicate trip | Same session_id twice |
| Straight-line guess | Claim >> road-distance |
| Personal errands | Route deviation dwell at non-client POI |
| Stale weekly batch | Claim date ≠ session date |
MobiTraq automates threshold rules.
Accounts workflow
1. Employee submits mileage from session rollup (auto-fill preferred)
2. Manual override requires reason code
3. MobiTraq flags exceptions to queue
4. Approver views route replay
5. Approve, reduce, or reject with audit log
6. Export only approved lines
Sampling audit program
Monthly: random 5% of approved claims + 100% of flagged claims. Document findings. Coach repeat offenders; discipline per policy.
CFO metrics
- $ flagged / month
- $ recovered pre-payroll
- Override rate by manager (bias check)
- Avg claim vs GPS delta trend
Legal caution
Reduce fraudulent claims — do not reduce lawful reimbursement below actual expense in mandatory states.
Scootee detection stack
MobiTraq · [Distance Engine](/platform/distance-engine/) · [Reducing mileage fraud](/resources/reducing-mileage-fraud/)
FAQ
What percent inflation is normal to flag?
10% threshold common starting point; tune by industry.
Employee override GPS mileage?
Allow with manager approval + reason; log in audit trail.
Detect inflation without GPS?
Hard — manual audit sampling only, weak signal.
Criminal prosecution for mileage fraud?
Rare; usually termination and civil recovery.
Inflation on company vehicles?
Fleet telematics separate; personal vehicle field reps need session GPS.