One in four believe not disclosing information to an insurer is not fraud

Despite 19 in 20 people agreeing that insurance fraud is a criminal act, a much larger degree of uncertainty exists around what actually constitutes an act of fraud.

This is according to new research from insurer Ageas and YouGov, published today (20 November 2025), which surveyed 2,048 UK adults between 10 and 25 February 2025.

Despite the awareness of the illegality of insurance fraud, some 23% of respondents believed that failing to disclose correct information to insurers did not constitute a criminal act.

These statistics point to the importance of educating consumers – indeed, 55% of people said that knowing about potential consequences of fraud would deter them and 39% said knowing how much fraud costs added to their insurance premiums would act as an effective disincentive.

Worryingly, 11% of surveyees said they would be prepared to commit insurance fraud if they thought they could get away with it.

Facing consequences

Nicola Smith, intelligence and investigations manager at the insurance fraud bureau (IFB), explained that consumers that were dishonest with their insurers would face consequences, including “being placed on the Insurance Fraud Register (IFR), which will likely make it harder and costlier for them to access essential insurance services for years to come”.

“As Ageas highlights, there is a need for more public awareness. Our ongoing fraud cons campaign is helping to tackle this, reaching millions to help educate people on the risks of dishonest activity and encourage honest behaviours,” she added.

Katie Davies, director of underwriting services and fraud at Ageas UK, said: “While most of the survey respondents recognised the general principle that fraud increases the cost of insurance for all policyholders, many who admitted they had at some point misrepresented their circumstances did not connect their own actions to these broader consequences.

“As insurance is a contract of trust between the insurer and their customer, we need to do all we can to help customers understand the broader consequences of fraudulent activity, whether that be an increase in the cost of premiums for everyone or the personal consequences of a cancelled policy or criminal conviction.”