Insurance fraud is under control with increasing numbers of insurers aware of the risks.

That is the message from the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA), acknowledging that there are fraudsters who try to "cheat the system" but "we are becoming more aware" and "more alert".

The recent case of Anne and John Darwin, the British couple who have been accused of life insurance fraud, has highlighted how an insurer potentially, could be swindled out of thousands of pounds.

In order to combat this threat, insurance companies have put in place a series of measures, including an Insurance Fraud Bureau.

Graeme Trudgill, technical and corporate affairs executive of BIBA, said that ultimately a court or the Financial Ombudsman would decide if someone has been dishonest.

He added: "If it's found out that someone is being fraudulent - and they will be found out because you have to really look into these claims - then questions will be asked."

Mr Trudgill concluded by saying that fraudsters put everyone else's premiums up and the fraud bureau would do everything they could to try to reduce these fiddles "for the sake of all the good innocent customers out there".

More than 53 per cent of people with home or car insurance have rated the industry as excellent.The recent Association of British Insurers' (ABI) Customer Impact Panel found customers' perceptions of ...

Price comparison site Gocompare.com, which allows consumers to evaluate different products on the market, such as car and home insurance, has been given membership to the British Insurance Brokers' As...

Mid Sussex Conservative MP Nicholas Soames has been banned from driving for two months for driving a quad bike on a public road without any vehicle insurance.Crawley magistrates' court fined the 60-ye...