Insurers concerned about bogus Permanent Health Insurance claims should hear alarm bells ringing if the claimant is a married, male skilled manual worker in his 40s reporting back or joint pain.

This is the most common profile of a fraudulent PHI claimant, according to an evaluation of 200 cases by fraud investigator Devlin Associates.

The disability and injury specialist reviewed its files to assist its clients in spotting possible fraudulent claims.

Devlin Associates is retained by 12 household name life and health insurers. It handles two or three new investigations each week.

Director Paul Devlin said: "Generally, insurers are becoming more proactive in trying to tackle fraud. Our clients have recently asked us to do in-house seminars for them on identifying fraudulent claims."

Devlin Associates' study shows that 50% of bogus claims relate to back or joint pains, followed by 16% for stress/depression.

Of the 200 cases, 76% were men, suggesting that men are three times as likely to fabricate a claim as women. Nearly half were skilled manual workers, with 22% in white collar jobs and 12.5% at company director level.

Devlin Associates provides a national service from offices in Stafford and Suffolk, with a team of 12 investigators.

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