In the last year, Zurich UK has detected £109.3m of fraudulent insurance claims, attributing more than 16% (17.9m) of that total to the use of connected AI and advanced analytics tools. The insurer spotted 4,359 fraudulent claims across its casualty, motor and property portfolios.

It identified £61.6m of casualty fraud across 2,380 claims, £28.1m of motor fraud across 1,027 claims and £19.6m of property fraud across 951 claims.

Scott Clayton, head of claims fraud at Zurich UK and chair of the Insurance Fraud Bureau, said: “Connected data is transforming the fight against fraud, helping us expose hidden relationships, identify organised networks and protect honest customers from footing the bill for criminal activity. The combination of advanced analytics, specialist investigators and human judgement is proving a powerful defence against a rapidly evolving threat.

“We’re the first insurer in the UK to use technology that brings together information from Companies House, Equifax, industry intelligence and the Insurance Fraud Register to give us a much richer picture across every claim. That helps us identify crucial connections and information that might otherwise be difficult to spot.”

Ursula Jallow, executive director of the Insurance Fraud Bureau, added: “Insurance fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated and AI-driven, making it vital that we continue to invest in the systems, controls and partnerships needed to protect businesses and consumers.

“Through the IFB's connected to protect strategy, we are harnessing technology, data and cross-sector collaboration to strengthen fraud detection, disrupt criminal activity and raise awareness of emerging threats.”