Insurance fraud continuing
- Published: 26/07/2007
The number of people filing false insurance claims is continuing to rise, according to new research.
Figures from CIFAS, the UK's fraud prevention service, show that when compared to the first six months of 2006, insurance fraud in the first six months of 2007 has increased by over ten per cent.
The results of the study also show that application fraud - the act of lying on application forms in order to falsely obtain insurance, credit, or other products - increased by nearly 19 per cent in the same period, with 37,357 cases recorded by CIFAS.
It was also found that overall identity fraud in the first half of this year has evened out in comparison to the first half in 2006. Nonetheless, there were 39,261 identified cases of such fraud.
Furthermore, the research shows that current address identity fraud now accounts for 35 per cent of identity fraud cases, which equates to a ten per cent increase since the same period last year.
Peter Hurst, chief executive of CIFAS, said: "Our statistics show that the first quarter figures were not just a worrying 'blip', but part of a trend. Fraudulent activity is at an all-time high. Fraud departments are working harder than ever to fight what is a marked escalation in activity by fraudsters."
Figures from CIFAS, the UK's fraud prevention service, show that when compared to the first six months of 2006, insurance fraud in the first six months of 2007 has increased by over ten per cent.
The results of the study also show that application fraud - the act of lying on application forms in order to falsely obtain insurance, credit, or other products - increased by nearly 19 per cent in the same period, with 37,357 cases recorded by CIFAS.
It was also found that overall identity fraud in the first half of this year has evened out in comparison to the first half in 2006. Nonetheless, there were 39,261 identified cases of such fraud.
Furthermore, the research shows that current address identity fraud now accounts for 35 per cent of identity fraud cases, which equates to a ten per cent increase since the same period last year.
Peter Hurst, chief executive of CIFAS, said: "Our statistics show that the first quarter figures were not just a worrying 'blip', but part of a trend. Fraudulent activity is at an all-time high. Fraud departments are working harder than ever to fight what is a marked escalation in activity by fraudsters."