Aviva said it identified more than 18,400 suspect claims across its brands last year, including Direct Line, with a value of £233 million.
The fraud claims level was a record for the insurer, although this is the first year that Aviva has reported combined fraud figures including Direct Line brands.
Aviva acquired Direct Line in July 2025. Looking at Aviva’s UK general insurance business only, excluding Direct Line brands, motor insurance fraud continues to account for the majority of fraudulent claims Aviva detects, representing more than seven in 10 cases.
Fraudsters are increasingly moving away from staged collisions and towards exaggerated claims for vehicle damage, repair costs, credit hire and injury, often using wider cost pressures as justification, the insurer said.
Aviva said it is seeing a growing number of claims supported by AI‑generated images and manipulated documents, particularly in motor insurance.
Fraudsters are using these tools to fabricate accident scenes and damage imagery to support false or exaggerated claims.
In response, the insurer also uses advanced analytics and AI‑enabled tools, supported by human oversight, to stop suspect claims earlier.
Professional “enablers” are also increasingly involved in property claims, Aviva said, by inflating repair costs, contents values and scopes of work.
Aviva said it detected more than 105,000 fraudulent insurance applications in 2025, with a growing proportion of activity linked to ghost broking.
These scams typically target younger drivers, with fraudsters using social media and messaging platforms to sell invalid or manipulated policies that leave customers unknowingly uninsured.
Pete Ward, head of claims counter fraud at Aviva, said: “Fraud isn’t a victimless crime – it drives up the cost of insurance for everyone.
“We have a duty to ensure our customers don’t foot the bill for other people’s dishonesty, and we work tirelessly to root out fraud and stop it wherever we find it.
“We’re seeing fraud become more sophisticated, from exaggerated claims to the use of AI‑generated documents, and we’re continuing to invest in the tools and expertise needed to identify and stop it.
“By detecting and preventing these claims, we’re helping protect honest customers from the cost of fraud.”
