Car insurance fraud considered by a million Brits

Written by Editorial Team

More than one million Brits have confessed they would consider ‘staging’ a motor accident to claim on their car insurance, according to moneysupermarket.com.

The research also revealed that 340,000 motorists claim to have already ‘staged’ an accident and successfully claimed on their insurance.

It appears men are twice as likely as women to have ‘staged’ an accident, as five per cent of men admitted to doing so, compared to two per cent of women.

The price comparison site attributes these worrying statistics to the recession, but Steve Sweeney, head of car insurance at moneysupermarket.com, says “surely this is a step too far for British motorists”.

“We have all been affected by the recession in one way or another, but crashing for cash is not only illegal but wilfully endangers the lives of others,” he said.

According to the Association of British Insurers, fraudulent insurance claims cost the industry £4million a day or £1.6billion a year, and on average add £40 to the annual premium paid by honest policyholders.

Mr Sweeney went on to say: “Our research reveals there are many more motorists causing this type of fraud and getting away with it than the industry is aware of. Organised motor fraud not only costs the insurance industry millions, but risks the safety of innocent drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

“Any motor insurance claim proved to involve an organised accident will be considered as fraudulent by an insurer, and is likely to have drastic, long-term affects on your motoring as a consequence.”

Motorists who are found guilty of making fraudulent claims could, according to Mr Sweeney, have their existing cover voided by their insurer and could be refused cover in the future.

He warned: “Regardless of how tempting it may seem to get your hands on some extra cash, carrying out organised motor fraud isn’t worth the risk. After all, it could end up costing you more in the long run.”

© Fair Investment Company Ltd