Fraud on the rise but fraudsters are facing the consequences

We’ve stopped over 6,000 fraudulent insurance claims in the first half of 2025, amounting to over £60 million. This equates to more than £334,000 a day in prevented fraud.

Fraud attempts are increasing and so are the consequences: prison sentences resulting from fraudulent insurance claims we’ve detected in 2025 have surpassed a cumulative total of 32 years (custodial and suspended sentences), already 9 years higher than the total handed down in all of 2024.

Our counter-fraud team continues to uncover a wide range of scams – from the familiar to the inventive. Here are just a few examples:

Crash for cash

In one case, a moped driver deliberately collided with a customer’s stationary car and then submitted a personal injury claim. Thanks to dashcam footage, the claim was withdrawn.

Fake documents

A fraudster submitted a claim using a photoshopped document dated “31 November” – a date that doesn’t exist.

Stolen images

Another individual attempted to claim for a damaged phone and watch, supporting the claim with photographic “evidence” that was copied from photos found online. A simple reverse image search exposed the fraudster.

Social media slip-up

A customer claimed they suffered life-changing injuries after slipping in a puddle. Suspicions were raised after they appeared on a reality TV show, prompting a check of their social media. Online posts revealed an active lifestyle, showing them lifting, twisting, crouching – and even riding rollercoasters. This evidence stopped the fraudster from receiving a possible £350,000.

Electronic evidence

A motorist claimed their vehicle was damaged after a collision with a skip in a car park. However, their story didn't quite add up. There were no photos of the skip, no details of the third party and one of the damaged parts had been removed before an engineer could inspect it. Confusingly, the airbags were deployed but deflated, with the customer claiming they cut them with a knife straight after the incident. A check with a previous insurer confirmed suspicions, showing the vehicle as previously written off in 2023. Aviva ordered an interrogation of the vehicle’s Electronic Control Unit, which exposed the truth – the vehicle’s airbags had gone off in 2023 and never again since. The data also showed that parts of the car had been dismantled ahead of the engineer’s visit, proving that this claim was nothing more than a fraudster trying their luck.

Pete Ward, Head of Claims Counter Fraud at Aviva, shared his thoughts:

"As our latest figures show, we continue to detect large volumes of opportunistic and organised claims fraud. The increase in detected fraud reflects our commitment to protecting honest customers from the physical, emotional and financial consequences of fraud. This includes defending customers from exaggerated and fraudulent claims and deterring would-be fraudsters from targeting Aviva. Insurance fraud isn’t a victimless crime and we're committed to tackling it.

Whilst some fraudsters are clearly more sophisticated than others, the wide range of claims fraud we've seen so far this year shows how important it is that we continue to investigate any claims that ring alarm bells.

It's really encouraging to see that our continued investment in our fraud detection capabilities is leading to more fraudsters being caught out. If you commit fraud, you're increasingly likely to be caught and will have to face the consequences. We'll continue to work with the industry and law enforcement to stop innocent customers being affected by the illegal actions of fraudsters.”
 

^{*All figures are based on Aviva’s own data for the general insurance fraud it detected in 2024/2025.}