Ecclesiastical detects more than £4m in false claims last year

Ecclesiastical prevented more than £4m in fraudulent claims in 2024, an increase of nearly £1m compared to 2023.

The specialist insurer reported a 37% rise in fraudulent property claims and a 17% increase in fake casualty claims in the last year.

Through investigations and legal action where necessary, Ecclesiastical saved approximately £2.6m in property claims and almost £1.7m in casualty claims.

Examples of fraudulent claims included falsified invoices that inflated claim values and attempts to claim for undamaged items.

In one case, a claimant alleged they had tripped over an unsecured rug in a church, but investigators confirmed the rug had been securely fixed, leading to the claim’s withdrawal.

Jeremy Trott, claims director at Ecclesiastical, said: “Insurance fraud is a crime that continues to cost insurance companies, and ultimately customers, billions of pounds each year.

“Our teams have been working hard to tackle this activity and help keep our premiums low.”

New hire

This comes after the ABI estimated last year that insurance fraud cost the industry £1.1bn in 2023.

As part of its ongoing investment in fraud prevention, Ecclesiastical has appointed James Ward as a counter fraud specialist.

He has worked as Inshur as a fraud claims manager, while he also spent several years at Hastings Direct, most recently as claims fraud team manager.

According to Ecclesiastical, Ward’s expertise is expected to support the insurer’s efforts to refine its fraud detection processes and strengthen its counter-fraud strategy.

Trott said: “We are really excited to welcome Ward on board.

“His knowledge of the fraud landscape and the technologies available to improve our fraud detection capabilities will be invaluable as we further enhance our counter-fraud strategy.”