Fraud more likely on hols

By REBECCA HANFORD

Nearly half of holidaymakers would not rule out making a fraudulent insurance claim, a survey revealed today.

The research by the Association of British Travel Insurers (ABI) found people consider making a dishonest claim no worse than stealing towels from their holiday hotel.

Some of the more bizarre cases the ABI have uncovered include:

· One woman claimed on FIVE separate occasions for the loss of the same eye. Her reasons ranged from being attacked to sustaining injuries jumping into a swimming pool.

· Another holiday maker claimed to have had his appendix removed on EIGHT different trips abroad.

· A woman who faked that her Rolex watch had been stolen, was found out when police discovered the "stolen" watch in her friend’s handbag.

· A crafty couple tried to claim that apes on the Rock of Gibraltar had snatched their camcorder and camera, although on questioning they later admitted dropping them.

· A man claimed for recuperation costs while recovering from a heart attack while holidaying in West Africa. The bill was for the cost of visiting a local brothel.

Although the survey of 2,000 adults showed that a lot of us could be holiday fraudsters, Debra Weekes ABI’s head of financial crime prevention, said: "Travel insurers are no soft touch when it comes to insurance cheats. This summer insurers will intensify their efforts to expose dishonest claimants"

She says that although the majority of insurance claims are genuine, any would-be holiday fraudsters, should be warned: "The industry will also be cracking down hard on insurance cheats who see travel insurance as a way of paying for their holiday."