Insurer says organised gangs and third parties are behind claims

Aviva detected £110m-worth of insurance fraud in 2013, up 19% on 2012 levels.

The insurer said it detects 45 fraudulent claims a day, together worth more than £300,000.

Aviva said its figures show fraud is a diverse crime, ranging from exaggerated genuine claims to fictitious claims and accidents.

It added that fraud is increasingly carried out by third parties making claims against Aviva customers, and organised gangs.

Aviva head of fraud Tom Gardiner said: “A combination of factors including the economic climate, social attitudes toward insurance fraud as a ‘victimless crime’, and a lack of effective deterrents are increasing the frequency of insurance fraud.

He added: “The good news is that we are constantly improving our ability to prevent and detect fraud, helping to keep premiums down for innocent policyholders. The ABI estimates that fraud adds £50 to the cost of insurance premiums.”