IFB's Insurance Fraud Statistics

Here is a selection of statistics collected by YouGov as part of Insurance Fraud Bureau's research into public perception towards insurance fraud and awareness of insurance scams.

We ask that our assets are shared in an honest and informative way to help educate the public. These statistics can be used to support press releases, social media posts, or to aid making informed decisions.

If you use any of these stats, please reference: IFB YouGov survey May 2024.

Application fraud

• Adults aged 25-34 were most likely of all age groups to deliberately lie on an application form and claim. (8% and 7%)
• Londoners admitted to deliberately lie on an application form or claim the most of all regions. (7% and 6%)
• People find it more acceptable to lie on an insurance application to save money than a claim to make money. (17% vs 11%)
• More than one in ten adults in the UK think that it is acceptable to lie on an insurance application. (17%)
• Students are more likely to have deliberately lied on an application form. (7%)
• It appears the more children in a household, the likelier it is a parent has deliberately lied on an application form. (3+: 13%, 2: 7%, 1: 6%)
• Men are 9% more likely to think that it is acceptable to lie on an insurance application than women. (22% vs 13%)
• Less than four in ten people know what Fronting is. (35%)

Claims fraud

• More than one in ten adults in the UK think that it is acceptable to lie on an insurance claim to make money. (11%)
• Three in five people that have deliberately lied on an insurance claim admitted to have done this by exaggerating a genuine claim to get a bigger pay-out. (60%)

Crash for Cash

Read more on the Crash for Crash scam here, and the moped version of this scam that is becoming increasingly prevalent.

• Three out of four Midlanders have heard about the Crash for Cash scam, the highest region of all surveyed. (74%)
• People in Wales are most familiar with the Crash for Cash scam, followed by those in England and Scotland. (Wales 69%, England 67%, Scotland 64%)
• Two thirds of adults have heard of Crash for Cash scams, but this drops by nearly half in 18-24 year olds. (66% drops to 36%)
• Londoners are least familiar with the Crash for Cash scam, despite being a hot spot area according to the Insurance Fraud Bureau. (51%)
• Over one in ten people haven’t heard about any of the following insurance scams: crash for cash, Ghost Broking, data theft, compensation claims, claims farming, Fronting or Paid Ad Spoofing. (12%)

Data Theft Fraud

Read our advice on what o do if you have been a victim of impersonation.

• Half of UK adults are unaware stolen data could be used by fraudsters to commit insurance fraud.
• Over one in ten people haven’t heard about any of the following insurance scams: crash for cash, Ghost Broking, data theft, compensation claims, claims farming, Fronting or Paid Ad Spoofing. (12%)

Fronting

Find out more information on Fronting on car insurance and the impact this can have.

• Less than four in ten people know what Fronting is. (35%)
• Over one in five people have admitted they don’t know what the consequences of Fronting are. (21%)
• Only one in five young adults aged 18-24 know that Fronting can make insurance more expensive for everyone else. (19%)
• Over one in ten people haven’t heard about any of the following insurance scams: crash for cash, Ghost Broking, data theft, compensation claims, claims farming, Fronting or Paid Ad Spoofing. (12%)

Ghost Broking

Learn more about what Ghost Broking is and what the signs are here.

• One in five adults aged 18-24 has shopped for an insurance deal on social media. (19%)
• Only one in ten adults in the UK have heard of Ghost Broking. (11%)
• People in West Midlands are less likely to have heard about Ghost Broking than those in the Northeast. (8% vs 21% awareness)
• Less than one in ten parents of a 17- to 18-year-old had heard of Ghost Broking. (7%)
• Londoners are the most likely to search for an insurance deal on social media. (16%)
• Over one in ten people haven’t heard about any of the following insurance scams: crash for cash, Ghost Broking, data theft, compensation claims, claims farming, Fronting or Paid Ad Spoofing. (12%)
• Only 13% of those living in Wales have heard of Ghost Broking.
• Dim ond 13% o'r rhai sy'n byw yng Cymru sydd wedi clywed am Ghost Broking. (Welsh translation of the above)

UK Nation comparisons (England / Scotland / Wales)

• People in England found it more acceptable to lie on an insurance claim to make money (12%), than those in Scotland (8%) or Wales (7%).
• People in Wales found it more acceptable to lie on an insurance application to save money (18%), than those in England (17%) or Scotland (16%).
• People in Wales are most familiar with the Crash for Cash scam, followed by those in England and Scotland. (Wales 69%, England 67%, Scotland 64%)
• People in Wales are more familiar with insurance scams than those in England.
• Mae pobl yng Cymru yn fwy cyfarwydd â sgamiau yswiriant na’r rhai yn Lloegr. (Welsh translation of the above)

Paid Ad Spoofing

Learn more about this unethical advertising method and how fees from this can cost unsuspecting victims tens of thousands of pounds.

• Only one in five people have heard of Paid Ad Spoofing. (18%)
• More than eight out of ten people haven’t heard of Paid Ad Spoofing. (18% have heard)
• 45-54 year olds are least aware of Paid Ad Spoofing (13%), compared to 17% or more for all other age groups (18-24: 17%, 25-34: 22%, 35-44: 21%, 55+: 17%)
• Over one in ten people haven’t heard about any of the following insurance scams: crash for cash, Ghost Broking, data theft, compensation claims, claims farming, Fronting or Paid Ad Spoofing. (12%)

To be included in footer/notes for press:
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2072 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 15th - 16th May 2024.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).