Tel: 01992 471001

Email: hoddesdon@ashbourneinsurance.co.uk

Dishonest Motor Insurance Applications Exceeded 4000 Weekly In 2014

Insurers uncovered 212,000 attempted dishonest applications for motor insurance in 2014 – up 18% on 2013 and the equivalent to over 4000 every week, according to the Association of British Insurers. Among the most common lies exposed by insurers were forgetting’ to disclose previous claims or unspent convictions when asked, giving a false address or postcode for a lower risk area, and parents insuring a vehicle being mainly driven by their son or daughter in their own name.

Thousands of motorists are paying a high price, in some cases driving illegally, by cutting corners when buying motor insurance according to latest figures out today from the ABI (Association of British Insurers).

Over 4,000 fraudulent motor insurance applications uncovered every week.
Motorists warned that Ghost broking scams could leave them driving illegally without valid insurance.
No need to risk driving illegally when it is so easy to shop around to get the best deals.

ABI research shows that in 2014 insurers uncovered 212,000 attempted dishonest applications for motor insurance, up 18% on 2013 and equivalent to just over 4,000 every week.

Common lies exposed include forgetting to disclose previous claims or unspent convictions when asked, giving a false address or post code for a lower risk area, and parents insuring in their name a vehicle being mainly driven by their son or daughter (commonly known as fronting). Last year over 1,500 reports to the Insurance Fraud Bureaus Cheatline related to motor insurance application fraud- nearly a quarter of the total calls received.

The ABI also warns against ghost broking scams. These involve illegal insurance advisers selling bogus motor insurance policies, that result in the innocent motorist driving illegally without valid motor insurance, facing prosecution and having their vehicle seized and crushed. Ghost brokers may operate through professional looking websites, and in pubs, clubs, car parks and university campuses.

An illegal insurance adviser who made 65,000 selling fake car insurance was jailed for two years. Another con man, who sold worthless car insurance to Manchester students, was jailed for three years, while an illegal adviser who sold fake motor insurance to over 100 drivers in west Yorkshire was jailed for a year. And an illegal adviser already serving a jail sentence was recently ordered by the Central Criminal Court to repay over 600,000 to the 600 drivers he sold fake cover to or face further time in jail.

The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), who manage cross-industry, large scale ghost broker investigations, is currently dealing with 26 cases of ghost broking fraud.

ABIs advice to help motorists get the best value and legal motor insurance deal:
-Shop around. Motor insurance is a very competitive market, with insurers, comparison websites, insurance brokers all offering competitive deals that will ensure you get the right policy and the best price.
-Lower your risk. The following can all help cut the cost of cover: have an approved immobiliser fitted, keep the vehicle garaged/ on a driveway overnight, have a telematics-based pay as you drive policy.
-Opt for a higher voluntary policy excess. The higher the amount of any claim you pay yourself, the lower the premium.
-Buy your insurance from a reputable source and avoid policies sold on social media networking websites, pubs, clubs and newsagents. You can check if your policy is on the Motor Insurers Bureaus Motor Insurance Database (www.askmid.com), which holds details of all vehicles insured in the UK, and check on the Financial Services Register (www.fca.org.uk/register) that the insurer or broker is authorised.

Mark Allen, the ABIÆs Fraud and Financial Crime Manager, said: Insurers recognise that innocent mistakes and oversights happen. But anyone lying to get cheaper motor insurance, or tempted by cheap insurance offers without first checking that they are genuine, risks driving illegally. The consequences include getting a criminal record and a massive financial headache if found to be at fault for a crash. The risks are just not worth it especially when you can shop around for the right policy at the lowest price.

Industry initiatives, such as the Insurance Fraud Register, MyLicence that allows insurers to check for any motoring offences, and the work of the Insurance Fraud Bureau and the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department in tackling ghost brokers are helping to reduce the scope for insurance application fraud.

Recent blogs

  • Average car insurance costs reach record high

    The average cost of car insurance has hit an all time high as premiums rose to almost £1000 in the last quarter …

  • Home insurance at Christmas

    Most home insurance policies will provide additional cover over the festive period, taking into account increased levels of contents and personal possessions …

  • Don’t get lost in Cyber Space

    More and more businesses are getting in contact regarding Cyber liability insurance, there is a great deal of interest about this particular …

  • Archives

  • Calendar

    March 2024
    M T W T F S S
     123
    45678910
    11121314151617
    18192021222324
    25262728293031

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.