Alarming Increase In Insurance Fraud
Fraudulent claims have doubled in the first three months of 2009 as firms struggle to keep their heads above water in the current recession according to reports coming from Allianz Insurance.
Flint, United Kingdom (PRWEB) May 8, 2009
Fraudulent claims have doubled in the first three months of 2009 as firms struggle to keep their heads above water in the current recession according to reports coming from Allianz Insurance. The insurer says it has identified and rejected £5m of false claims in the first quarter of the year compared to only half that amount in 2008.
A spokesman for Staveley Head, one of the UK's leading van insurance (http://www. staveleyhead. co. uk/van) brokers, said, "This confirms the figures recently reported by the Association of British Insurers which indicate that companies have been increasingly willing to submit fraudulent claims since the financial crisis began nearly a year ago. The ABI has reported that fraud thrives in a recession so insurers are intensifying their crackdown on insurance cheats. False claims add an extra £40 to the average premium so the more difficult we make it for the villains the less premium honest people will have to pay."
Roy Hebburn, Allianz divisional claims manager, is reported as saying, "Small businesses should be aware that their employees and others - customers or even business associates - are facing economic hardship right now. As a result the temptation to commit insurance fraud is significantly greater."
Fraudulent claims are increasing in every insurance sector, but by far the worst compromised is motor insurance which accounts for nearly 50% of the value of the total claims made.
A major warning comes from Nick Starling, the ABI's director of general insurance and health, who reportedly said, "Cheating on your insurance really does not pay - you will get caught."
Staveley Head (http://www. staveleyhead. co. uk) is one of the leading van insurance providers in the country, and will give you all the advice and assistance you need regarding this matter, including a very competitive van insurance quote, if you log onto their website, you can even take out van insurance (http://www. staveleyhead. co. uk/van) online.
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