A claims register must be established as a matter of urgency to out ‘trip and trick’ claimants, Insuremyshop.ie insurance brokers has urged.
CFM insurance brokers say shop owners are increasingly targeted by insurance fraudsters.
CFM Group says it will campaign for a register to curb the activities of “professional insurance claimants”.
It believes some people are making a substantial living from falsifying multiple insurance claims.
“There is a relatively small, but very active and dangerous cohort of people out there who engage in the practice of falsifying insurance claims,” said CFM Group managing director Jonathan Hehir.
Mr Hehir is concerned that shop owners are increasingly becoming the target of insurance fraudsters.
“We have seen cases of people literally diving onto the floor or pretending to trip over something, or they are pretending to steal items from the store but when questioned, they accuse the shop assistant or owner of defamation,” he said.
Mr Hehir said a significant number of cases are planned by legal criminals.
“Legal criminals are the smart ones — instead of breaking the law, they recognise how stupid the law is and make a tidy living manipulating it in their favour,” he said.
Another issue for shop owners is staged ‘wrongful arrest’ or defamation.
“Fraudsters pretend to steal an item and then when asked if they have paid for the item, they make a big deal out