Aviva ‘stopped over £60m of fraudulent insurance claims in first half of 2025’

Crash-for-cash scams and a photoshopped document showing a date that does not exist were among claims prevented by the insurer.

(PA)

Aviva says it stopped more than £60 million in bogus insurance claims in the first half of this year.

The insurance giant said it prevented more than 6,000 fraudulent insurance claims in the first half of 2025, amounting to more than £60 million in prevented fraud.

Aviva said it has seen a 3% increase in the number of bogus claims being detected compared with the first half of 2024.

It added that it is continuing to invest in fraud detection, helping to reduce the pressure on premiums.

Scams it has uncovered include crash-for-cash, where road collisions are deliberately staged.

In one incident, a moped driver slowly collided with an Aviva customer’s car, which was stationary, the insurer said. It said the claim was withdrawn when dashcam footage from Aviva’s customer was shared.

Another claim uncovered by the insurer involved a photoshopped document showing a non-existent date – November 31.

In another case, someone attempted to claim for a damaged phone and watch, using “evidence” copied from photos found online. Aviva said its routine checks quickly confirmed this.

Pete Ward, head of claims counter fraud at Aviva, said: ”As our latest figures show, we continue to detect large volumes of opportunistic and organised claims fraud.

“The increase in detected fraud reflects our commitment to protecting honest customers from the physical, emotional, and financial consequences of fraud.

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“This includes defending customers from exaggerated and fraudulent claims and deterring would-be fraudsters from targeting Aviva. Insurance fraud isn’t a victimless crime, and we are committed to tackling it.”