Faking it’ Brits exposed

Credit-crunched Brits admit they would consider making a false home insurance claim, with many confessing they have successfully faked a claim already, according to research from moneysupermarket.com.

The UK's leading price comparison site shows one in twenty Brits (five per cent) admit they would consider making a false claim on their home insurance. Of these, more than 1.2 million people blame the credit crunch for their dishonesty and say the recession has made them contemplate this route. Worryingly, a fifth of these people have already defrauded their home insurer by successfully making a false insurance claim.

The research also reveals those in their twenties are the most likely to fake a claim, with one in six 20 to 29 year-olds (15 per cent) admitting they have thought about swindling their home insurer. Of this, a fifth have already submitted a false claim and secured a pay out.

Julie Owens, head of home insurance at moneysupermarket.com, said: "Our survey shows that many consumers believe it is acceptable to make a false or exaggerated claim on their home insurance. No matter how tempting, fabricating a claim for a pay out is not only wholly inadvisable but it is also illegal, and you could face being prosecuted as a result. The recession has certainly affected us all but faking a home insurance claim isn't the way to make ends meet. Perhaps they feel that their dishonesty only impacts the insurer and as such it does no real harm.

"This couldn't be further from the truth. Insurance fraud of this nature increases the cost of premiums for honest Brits."