IFB issues travellers warning amid fraud concerns

Travellers have been warned to not be tempted into making fraudulent travel insurance claims during the October half-term.

In a statement released today (23 October 2023), the Insurance Fraud Bureau said thousands of consumers were planning to travel abroad for the holiday.

The IFB said that with the average cost of going on holiday rising by more than a quarter in the last four years, it had concerns more people could be tempted to turn to fraud.

According to IFB figures, opportunistic fraud now makes up 85% of travel insurance fraud cases.

And Ursula Jallow, director at the IFB, said travel policies “are being exploited by opportunistic fraudsters”.

“If you need to make an insurance claim, you must do so honestly,” she added.

“Any fictitious or exaggerated expenses for what otherwise would have been a genuine claim is still fraud and the consequences are serious.

“Insurance scams bring added costs for everyone else, which is why we’re collaborating so closely with insurers and the police to crackdown on the issue.”

Adverts

To help clamp down on fraudsters, the IFB said it was warning the public about the consequences by promoting a series of adverts that have been created with the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (Ifed).

These explain what travel insurance is and the serious consequences of making fraudulent claims.

Ifed detective chief inspector Tom Hill said: “It’s important to fully understand the terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy before going on holiday, so that you know what you’re entitled to claim for.

“Unfortunately, some people think nothing of abusing their policy by making fictitious or exaggerated claims, be it pretending an item that they lost cost more than it was worth or lying about needing medical treatment abroad.

”As a result, the cost of insurance is driven up for everyone, meaning that honest policyholders end up paying the price.

“This type of fraud is taken very seriously by Ifed and the insurance industry and can leave perpetrators with a criminal record or make it harder for them to access essential insurance services in the future.”