RSAM works with a specialised police unit called the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), to tackle insurance fraud. IFED is funded by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), of which RSA Insurance is a member, and is hosted by the City of London Police. IFED’s detectives, financial investigators and police staff are dedicated to tackling insurance fraud independently and working closely with the insurance industry.
Fraudulent claims include:
- People claiming for injuries of passengers who were not in the car at the time of the accident
- Staged and induced accidents
- False or exaggerated hire car claims
- Exaggeration of damage to cars or injuries
- Unauthorised drivers
- Undisclosed convictions which rendered drivers ineligible for the Scheme.
In 2015, nearly 4,000 insurance claims were referred to RSAM’s Fraud and Policy Breach team. Had these fraudulent transactions not been identified, over £12m of claim payments would have been made.
Here are a few tips to protect you from being a victim of motor insurance fraudsters:
Keep your distance
Keeping a safe distance from the car in front will allow a greater stopping distance. Make sure you can see the tarmac below the tyres of the vehicle in front.
Beware of tailgaters
By forcing you to concentrate on the car behind, they will attempt to take your eyes off the car in front of you. The car in front is “in on the act” and will likely brake suddenly forcing you to hit the back of them, because your concentration was on the vehicle behind.
Always look for brake lights
Non-functioning lights can be a ploy to trap unsuspecting motorists. Take extra care in traffic until you are certain that the vehicle in front has fully operational brake lights. If the brake lights are not illuminated, give that particular vehicle even more room.
Take extra care at roundabouts or areas where there is stop-start congestion
Roundabouts, especially at rush hour, can be an ideal opportunity for induced accidents. A typical example is where there is a gap and you are keen to follow, the car in front suddenly brakes and you follow – into the back of their car. Try not to rush at roundabouts and concentrate on what the car in front is doing. Also, beware of cars rapidly pulling out of junctions and then braking in front of you.
Take extra care when in lanes
Motorways and dual carriageways always require drivers to be extra diligent, but it is always worth being conscious of the middle lane. A car can deliberately pull from an outside lane and cause you to swerve into another car.
If you have been involved in an accident, do not panic
If you are suspicious then be as vigilant as possible. Report the incident to the police as soon as you can. Try to take photographs of the accident scene, especially the vehicle damage. Take note of the number of people in the other car and take the full details of the other party. Let RSAM know that you believe the accident was caused deliberately and tell them why you think so. If you have a dashboard camera, please tell RSAM when you register the claim and keep the footage, as this could be very useful later on if a fraudulent claim is submitted.
If you are aware of a fraudulent claim being made, you can call the Insurance Fraud Bureau anonymously on 0800 422 0421 or contact RSAM on 0300 037 3737.
Since inception IFED has:
- Secured 500 arrests for motor-related insurance fraud;
- Carried out voluntary Interviews with 432 suspects under caution;
- Secured 140 convictions and cautioned 172 people for motor related insurance fraud offences;
- Secured total custodial sentences of 57.5 years and suspended sentence of 31.4 years for offenders convicted of motor-related insurance fraud offences.&
For more information, visit the Car insurance cover information page.
