Insurance fraud and its effect on premiums remain a concern for Canadians, with new survey data from Aviva Canada and Nanos Research pointing to ongoing unease around staged collisions and repair-related scams.
The survey found 59% of respondents are concerned about the cost of fraud in the insurance system, citing its effect on premiums. Meanwhile, 42% said they are worried about becoming a victim.
Respondents identified deliberately staged vehicle collisions as the top perceived fraud threat, cited by 13.8%, followed by vehicle repair-related fraud at 11.7% and scams involving unlicensed individuals posing as insurance brokers at 7.8%.
The findings come as Aviva has separately reported increases in suspicious claims activity, including a 47% rise in staged accidents in late 2024 and a broader increase in fraud investigations, signalling ongoing pressure on the auto insurance system.
Despite concern around fraud, Canadians ranked other risks as more pressing when it comes to their influence on insurance. Cyber crime, online scams and identity theft topped the list at 37.8%, followed by auto theft at 15.7%, home invasions at 12.1% and flooding at 10.6%. Insurance fraud ranked as the top concern for 3.7% of respondents.
Regional differences were evident, with respondents in British Columbia (4.8%) most likely to rank fraud as their top concern, followed by Ontario (4.4%) and Quebec (4.0%). In Atlantic Canada, just 0.6% of respondents selected insurance fraud as their primary concern.
The survey also found younger Canadians were more likely to rank fraud as their top concern, with 6.4% of those aged 25 to 34 selecting it, compared to 3.0% of those over 55.
However, older Canadians reported higher levels of concern about becoming victims. Among respondents aged 55 and older, 45.2% rated their concern at seven or higher out of 10, compared to 39.6% of those aged 35 to 54 and 37.9% of those aged 25 to 34.
Perceptions of enforcement also emerged as a key issue, with 43% of respondents indicating penalties for insurance fraud are not strong enough, while 16% believe they are adequate.
