Aviva Canada: Support for the fight on insurance fraud has surged

More Canadians are supportive of efforts to combat rampant insurance fraud than before, and many have also seen the connection between fraud and increased premiums, a new survey found.

The survey was conducted by Pollara Strategic Insight, commissioned by Aviva Canada. About 1,500 Canadians participated in the online based poll, which was conducted in October 2019.

According to the survey, Canadians are now more aware of insurance fraud – 89% of respondents said combatting fraud is a high priority in 2019, compared to 77% in 2017. The poll also noted that all regions of Canada posted “overwhelming support” for anti-fraud activity in 2019.

Key findings of the report include:

• 90% of Canadians are aware that there is a direct relationship between what an insurance company pays in claims and their annual premiums – marking an 18% jump in awareness compared to a similar survey from 2017.
• 87% said they want more time and money spent on policing and prosecuting fraudulent insurance claims.
• 72% agree that increased prosecution of fraud could result in lower auto insurance premiums.
• About half of the respondents feel that one in four claims involve some element of fraud; another 20% believe that fraud constitutes half of all claims.
• 15% report knowing someone that has inflated the value of their personal belongings stolen from a vehicle.

The poll also highlighted some findings that suggest consumers still need more education:

• Less than half of Canadians said they are knowledgeable when it comes to their rental coverage, suggesting that the other half overpays.
• Half of the respondents admitted that they are not prepared to navigate the claims process.
• Nearly 60% of Canadians believe they are not required to record police information or remove their personal items from their vehicle at the accident scene.
• Two-thirds of the respondents are unlikely to approach a repair facility recommended to them by their insurer. Aviva Canada also reported that, based on its data, claims are on average resolved 30 days faster when using a recommended repair shop.

“With March being Fraud Prevention Month, we wanted to release this survey data, highlighting Canadians’ attitude towards fraud,” commented Aviva Canada Verify vice-president Ashish Bhargava. “At Aviva, we are committed to raising awareness and educating our consumers, many of whom are unknowingly victims of fraud.”

Bhargava also said that Aviva will continue to advocate for reform in order to control fraud levels, as well as to help establish stricter consequences for those caught committing insurance fraud.

Read more: Survey: Many Canadians willing to undergo injury, damage to property for an insurance-paid “upgrade”

Aviva’s survey comes after another poll, conducted by Finder Canada, found that many Canadians have admitted that they would resort to fraud in order to receive a payout – as long as they do not get caught.