Why does fraud matter?
According to the Association of British Insurers, insurance fraud adds an extra £50 to the insurance bill of the average household.
In these tough economic times, it’s important we show our commitment to the prevention and detection of fraud to protect our customers and to keep our insurance premiums down.
There are two types of insurance fraud:
Application Fraud
Application fraud occurs when a policyholder or applicant either misrepresents or deliberately fails to disclose material facts at policy inception for financial gain.
Types of application fraud include:
- Misrepresentation / Non-Disclosure
Can include parents taking out insurance policies as the policyholder when their child is actually the main driver, or failing to disclose all accidents/convictions. - No Claim Discount Fraud
Falsely claiming to have acquired a greater entitlement of No Claim Discount. - Payment Fraud
Taking out a policy with no intent to pay. Could be using own and/or stolen payment details.
Claims Fraud
Claims fraud is, quite simply, fraud involving claims. There are two categories:
- Fictitious losses, incidents or injuries
Where a claim is submitted for a loss or incident which did not occur. - Material misrepresentation or exaggeration of a claimed loss or personal injury
Where a genuine loss or incident occurs but the claimant deliberately misrepresents or exaggerates the extent of the claim for financial gain.
What to do if you have been the victim of fraud…
If you have information regarding a fraudulent Direct Line insurance policy or claim, please email our dedicated teams:
Policy Fraud : Direct.Referral.Team@directlinegroup.co.uk
Claims Fraud : intelligence@directlinegroup.com
Please note that Direct Line is part of the Direct Line Group of companies.
Or you can contact the Insurance Fraud Bureau’s Cheatline: Telephone: 0800 422 0421
You can also make a report using the online reporting tool.
Alternatively if you have information regarding other types of fraud you can contact Action Fraud:
Telephone:
0300 123 2040
Text phone:
0300 123 2050
You can also submit a report to Action Fraud using the online reporting tool.