Trade body assesses impact of Irish Insurance Federation's controversial campaign
The ABI is to send representatives over to Ireland to pick up fraud-busting techniques from its counterpart, the Irish Insurance Federation (IIF).
Chris Hannant, the ABI's head of financial crime prevention, said: "We need to do more to ram the message home that fraud costs honest policyholders. We're going to be talking to the IIF about its campaign and see what could work over here."
He added: "The challenge for the industry is communicating that insurance fraud is not a victimless crime."
Ireland has been successful in reducing fraud, following a sustained advertising campaign and lobbying activities.
Niall Doyle, corporate affairs manager for the IIF, said: "We knew action had to be taken around five years ago. There was a huge escalation in premiums across the board.
"We had a culture of dole and insurance fraud and at the same time, our economy was taking off with unemployment falling. We had to change things."
In 2003 a low-call hotline, Insurance Confidential, was launched, with a major press, poster and radio campaign using a controversial 'pointed finger' icon. Since the launch some 2,368 suspicious cases have been reported.
The IIF's activities included lobbying government hard, with numerous meetings held with ministers to ensure the government was on side. This helped secure the passing of the Civil Liability and Courts Act, which has anti-fraud provisions.
Other moves included a book of quantum and the creation of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, which cuts lawyers out of the frame when liability is agreed.
Doyle added: "It was about changing perceptions that bragging about fraud was not OK. People just thought insurers were making huge amounts of money, but they were actually making a loss. Now, they are moving into profit.
"One minister even said it was a patriotic duty to report fraud."
