One insurance scam detected every minute, figures show

One insurance fraud is being detected every minute across the UK typically, according to industry figures.

More than half a million insurance frauds were uncovered in 2017, from people lying to get cheaper cover when making an application, to making dishonest claims, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said.

A total of 562,000 insurance scams were detected by insurers. Of these there were 113,000 fraudulent claims, collectively valued at £1.3 billion, and 449,000 dishonest insurance applications.

The number of dishonest insurance claims, at 113,000, was down by 8 per cent on 2016. The ABI said the fall reflects industry efforts to team up to combat fraud.

Insurers detected 449,000 cases of confirmed or suspected application fraud, where people lied or withheld information to try to get cheaper cover.