More insurance fraud during pandemic year

Dutch insurers noticed an increase in insurance fraud last year, particularly among companies. The insurers caught some 13,000 insurance fraud cases among private individuals and companies in 2020, preventing over 88 million euros of unjust claims, NU.nl reports.

The number of insurance fraud cases among companies increased by a massive 40 percent last year. The Dutch Association of Insurers thinks this has to do with the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns. Companies forced to close their doors tried to find other ways to get some money in.

The lockdowns did not affect fraud attempts by individuals as much, with cases increasing only 5 percent.

Many of the insurance fraud attempts were on motor vehicle, home, and travel insurance. Fraud was most often attempted by faking damage, claiming more than the actual damage, falsifying supporting documents, and taking out a policy under a different name. Some fraudsters also claimed the same damage multiple times.

The Association also said that cybercriminals increasingly target insurers. "We discover hacking attempts at insurance companies every day, but locally most can be repelled," a spokesperson said to the newspaper.