Home insurance is the number one target for insurance fraudsters
According to data published by the trade body, every day insurers detect 335 fraudulent insurance claims worth £2.3 million.
The association points out that dishonest home insurance claims are the most common, with 170 cheating householders being caught out every 24 hours. These claims typically involve alleged accidental damage to carpets and furniture due to spilled drink, which were in fact caused deliberately.
Nick Starling, the ABI’s director of general insurance and health, said: “Insurance cheats do not prosper, they can expect to get caught, face problems getting future insurance and risk getting a criminal record. The majority of customers are honest and rightly object to subsidising the cheats. Insurance fraud adds an extra £44 to the average UK household’s annual insurance bill. This is why 2011 will see insurers intensify their war against the cheats, to protect their honest customers.”