Insurance fraud - False claims are theft

AS a society we are paying a huge price for turning a blind eye to very many practices that bordered on the dishonest.

One of the welcome reactions is a growth in the number of people prepared to report suspected insurance fraud.

Irish Insurance Federation (IIF) figures on reports of suspicious claims are up by almost a fifth to 813 cases, up from 686 in 2009 and just 308 cases in 2008.

Though the financial services sector does not always smell of roses, anything that reduces the estimated €100 million a year lost to fraud is welcome.

After all, it is the consumer who picks up the tab.

Our aversion to informers has been misused; we should never be reluctant to report crime and that is what insurance fraud is.