Insurance fraud

Are you applying for new insurance? Then an insurer will ask you a few questions before accepting the insurance application. If you do not answer these questions honestly, it is insurance fraud. For example:

• Has an insurer ever denied your application?
• Has your insurance ever been discontinued?
• Do you have a criminal history?
• Has there ever been a driving disqualification?

It is also fraud if you give false information when reporting damage. For example, if you report more items in a burglary than were actually stolen. You then give incorrect information and make the damage bigger so that the insurer pays more. This is not allowed.

Another type of fraud is filing bogus claims. For example, saying your phone was stolen when you actually lost it yourself. Changing facts so that the insurance company pays your claim is fraud.

It often happens that people intentionally cause an accident or drive into something to get money. The insurer then has to prove that this is fraud. To do this, the insurer engages a specialist.

This person can immediately tell if a burglary is real or not and if someone has smashed a window themselves. This is because sometimes the window is broken from the inside rather than the outside.

Insurers use sophisticated systems and specially trained fraud investigators to analyze suspicious claims. They watch for anomalous claim patterns, inconsistencies in statements and sometimes use outside experts or databases such as the CIS Foundation to detect fraud.

Those caught committing insurance fraud will not be compensated and can be fined a minimum of €532. In addition, insurers can report the matter to the police, terminate insurance and recover investigation costs. Registration in the CIS register also usually follows.

A registration of insurance fraud in the Foundation CIS database remains visible in most cases for eight years. During this period, other insurers can view the report, which affects the conclusion of new insurance policies.

A CIS registration as a fraudster makes it difficult to get any more insurance from regular providers. In addition, you often pay a higher premium and your application may be denied. Even with existing insurance policies, coverage may be adjusted or terminated.

Examples include: declaring extra belongings after a burglary, reclaiming old damage, making a false report of theft or intentionally causing damage. Concealing a criminal record when applying for insurance also qualifies as fraud.

Yes, but not with regular insurers. De Vereende is one of the few insurers you can probably get. You do pay a high premium.