Ecclesiastical joins the Insurance Fraud Bureau

The IFB is a not-for-profit organisation funded by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and has been operating since 2006 with the aim of detecting and disrupting organised fraud networks.

As the UK general insurance industry's central hub for sharing insurance fraud data and intelligence the IFB provides members with a database of fraud cases, as well as helping with investigations into fraudulent claims.

Current membership comprises of 60 of the most prominent insurers, service providers and solicitors in the UK, including Aviva, RSA, Zurich and AXA.

The IFB’s new focus on general property and casualty insurance means the time is right for Ecclesiastical to join to work together on the issue, which cost the industry £1.2 billion in 2018 alone.

As part of its work to tackle fraud the IFB runs ‘Cheatline’ which allows the general public to report insurance fraud in strict confidence and can then be investigated alongside the insurance industry and law enforcement.

Richard Coleman, Managing Director at Ecclesiastical, said: I’m really pleased to join the IFB and our colleagues from across the insurance industry to fight insurance fraud which costs companies, and ultimately customers, billions of pounds each year.”

“Not only do insurance scams have serious consequences for victims they also increase premiums for legitimate customers, making insurance more expensive for everyone. We are committed to investing in fraud deterrents to help protect our customers and ensure that false claims are dealt with in the strongest possible means.”

To report insurance fraud confidentially, visit the Cheatline website.