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Motor fraud gangs are a moving target

Posted on 06.03.2009

The 2009 Motor Fraud Index, which is published by law firm Keoghs, revealed nine towns close to the UK’s top-10 hotspots have experienced a significant increase over the last year.

Topping the list of new problem zones is Huddersfield, which jumped nine places in the index since last year, followed by Sheffield, Chester, South-east London, Stoke-on-Trent, Leicester, Stockport, Wolverhampton and Romford.

James Heath, head of counter-fraud strategy at Keoghs, said a “leaching effect” is occurring, in part, as insurers, together with organisations such as the Insurance Fraud Bureau and the Insurance Fraud Investigators Group, are cracking down on fraud in problem areas.

However, he added the regions with the highest level of suspicious activity remain unchanged, with only one of the top-10 worst affected towns changing in the past year. He said there is “hardly a postcode in the UK that hasn’t seen an increase in fraud”.

“We’ve seen a huge increase in fraudulent activity – both organised and opportunistic,” he added. “We are also seeing an increase in non-motor fraud, in home and travel for example, and the number of people involved in desperation fraud as financial problems increase in the current economic climate.”

The index shows Bradford is again generating the highest number of suspicious claims in the UK, followed by Birmingham, Blackburn, Liverpool, Oldham, Manchester, Bolton, Southall, Huddersfield and east London