A scammer who made false home insurance claims, including for supposedly stolen high-value Lego sets, has been identified by the insurance trade body, the ABI, as one of last year's most high-profile insurance fraudsters. The individual was sentenced to 28 months in prison after an investigation found the claims were fabricated.
The Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) found that the man's scam claims to Axa Insurance in 2021 and 2022 also included other high-value items such as MacBooks, televisions, gaming consoles, and fishing equipment. In 2023, IFED reportedly discovered collectible Lego sets matching those claimed to be stolen displayed in the man's living room during a search. Alongside his prison sentence, he was ordered to repay £14,000.
The ABI reported that the total value of fraudulent claims detected in 2025 reached £1.34bn, marking a 14% increase from £1.18bn in 2024. The average value of a fraudulent claim last year was £14,300, which is the second-highest level on record. However, the number of detected fraudulent claims saw a slight decrease of 2.7% to 93,900.
Mark Allen, head of fraud and financial crime at the ABI, stated that fraudsters are targeting much bigger payouts, and emerging technologies like AI could be exploited. Det Ch Insp Simon Klust, head of IFED, commented that insurance fraud is not a victimless crime and increases premium costs for honest customers.