05 June 2026
Posting car pics fuels fraud warns Allianz UK
- AI image altering on the rise targeting innocent victims and used to inflate claims – from escape of water to car damage.
- Allianz UK warns about posting car pictures online, with half admitting they have previously.
- 73% had no idea it could expose them to insurance fraud.
Posting a picture of your car online can have serious implications, according to leading insurer Allianz UK, who combatted over 34,200 insurance fraud cases last year totalling nearly £174m1.
The warning comes as Allianz UK’s fraud detection team have uncovered cases where fraudsters are using images of vehicles posted online with the numberplate visible and submitting fake insurance claims by using AI to create the ‘damage’. Other tactics used include attempting to impersonate victims without their knowledge or consent to try and change details and collaborating with other criminals to sell compromised identities.
According to new research, over half of UK drivers2 (52% aged 18 to 34) have previously posted a picture of their car online, with almost three quarters (73%) admitting they had no idea it could expose them to insurance fraud. After finding this out, 66% said they’d be more cautious in the future.
In one case, an individual had a picture of his van on his business social media page, and a claim was pursued in his name for an accident that never took place. Allianz received images of his vehicle from the fraudsters, showing the front bumper had been ‘cracked’ in the alleged accident, along with a false repair invoice totalling around £1,000. Noticing concerns with the claim Allianz investigated the case, identifying the image was identical to the one found on social media but with the crack added through AI photo editing.
In another case, someone selling their car online was targeted when his Mercedes was used to fabricate a claim by a fraudster. Allianz received a claim for an accident which had been staged using a different Mercedes car that looked very similar to the one online, and AI had been used to change the numberplate. Fraud investigations revealed the car was in fact a different model, and the incident was fake.
Caught in the act
However, it’s not just innocent victims getting caught up with AI image manipulation. Allianz UK has also received entirely fake claims, or cases where AI has been used to inflate damage in photos. This is happening across Allianz UK’s commercial and personal lines businesses. Fake images such as watches, jewellery, fabricated insurance documents and flooded property have all been attempted to get claims paid.
Allianz UK recently received a claim for escape of water from a pipe in a kitchen, where the entire floor was claimed to have been submerged. After assessing the photo submitted for the £80k claim, it materialised that invoices for repair work were fake and the property had been in need of major renovations. Further analysis of the photo then identified some flags, such as ripple effects within the water that seemed inconsistent and distorted reflections which didn’t mirror the kitchen cabinets. Fraud investigations identified the kitchen had never been flooded in the first place.
In another case, Allianz received an uploaded driving license from a customer applying for a car insurance policy. However, investigations revealed that AI had been used to create the photo of the driving license, and the identity used had been stolen. Another customer thought they had a genuine Allianz insurance policy, but they’d unknowingly used a ghost broker who had supplied fake insurance documents using AI and the driver was completely uninsured on the road.
Matt Crabtree, Head of Financial Crime Intelligence & Investigation Strategy at Allianz UK comments:
“Insurance fraud constantly evolves and we’re seeing this through the rise of AI and photo editing, which is a current challenge for the industry. We’re seeing a mix of fraudsters exploiting what they can find online to submit fake claims and take out insurance, to customers exaggerating and fabricating claims for money. This is a wide-scale problem, as we’re seeing it across all our products in both commercial and personal lines.
“Our fraud team continues to develop existing fraud controls. However, the rapidly changing nature of how fraudsters operate poses big risks to innocent drivers. We continue to combat this type of fraud and show the value of insurers and to keep costs down for honest motorists, but also act as a deterrent to anyone thinking of using a fake insurance claim to make extra money.”
Top tips to combat insurance fraud:
- Consider what you post online and if it includes information that could expose your identity plus check your privacy settings.
- If it’s too good to be true it probably is - don’t get lured by low premiums through a ghost broker because if you have an accident you won’t be covered.
- Check the FCA register to ensure your insurer or broker is genuine.
- Save your insurers number on your phone or keep it in your car so that if you need to call them on the side of the road following an accident you have peace of mind you’re calling them directly.
- If in an accident take photos of the car damage, location and note how many passengers are in the other car so fraudsters can’t exaggerate damage or injuries.
- At the scene of an accident check for witnesses and any CCTV or dashcam footage which may help prove what happened.
- Anyone with evidence of ghost broking and insurance fraud can report it to the confidential IFB Cheatline, powered by CrimeStoppers, on 0800 422 0421.
1 Allianz UK prevents record level of fraud | Allianz Insurance
2 Online survey of 2000 UK Car owners commissioned by Allianz UK and conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society's code of conduct. Data was collected between 06/05/2026 and 08/05/2026. All participants are double-opted in to take part in research and are paid an amount depending on the length and complexity of the survey. This survey was overseen and edited by the OnePoll research team. OnePoll are MRS Company Partners, corporate membership of ESOMAR and Members of the British Polling Council.
Photos available on request.
For further information please contact:
Natasha Gibbs
natasha.gibbs@allianz.co.uk
About Allianz
The Allianz Group is one of the world’s leading insurers and asset managers, active in almost 70 countries and serving around 97 million private and corporate customers*. Our customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, ranging from property, life and health insurance to assistance services to credit insurance and global business insurance. Recognized for the seventh consecutive year as the number one global insurance brand in Interbrand’s Best Global Brands 2025 ranking, Allianz’s success is built on technology-enabled customer centricity – providing peace of mind, protection, and prevention for our customers and strengthening the resilience of individuals, communities, and societies. We are one of the world’s largest investors, managing around 764 billion euros** on behalf of our insurance customers. Furthermore, our asset managers PIMCO and Allianz Global Investors manage about 2.0 trillion euros** of third-party assets. Thanks to our systematic integration of environmental and social criteria in our business processes and investment decisions, Allianz received an MSCI ESG Rating of AAA (as of March 2026). In 2025, our 156,000 dedicated employees achieved a total business volume of 186.9 billion euros and an operating profit of 17.4 billion euros for our shareholders.
* Customer count reflects Allianz customers in consolidated entities that are part of the customer reporting scope only.
** As of December 31, 2025
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