Surge in reports to insurance fraud hotline

REPORTS from members of the public to a confidential hotline dedicated to preventing insurance fraud have sky-rocketed since the start of the recession.

Figures obtained from Insurance Confidential, run by the Irish Insurance Federation, reveal since 2008 the number of cases under investigation has more than tripled.

Last year, insurance companies investigated more than 700 cases of suspected fraud, in comparison with 200 in 2008.