Saturday, 15 March 2025
The total value of exposed insurance fraud in the Czech Republic once again exceeded CZK 1 billion in 2024, maintaining levels similar to the previous year, according to a survey conducted among the country’s largest insurance companies. Around two-thirds of suspicious claims investigated were confirmed as fraudulent. The capital, Prague, continues to top the list as the most problematic region for insurance fraud.
Generali Česká pojišťovna reported that the value of fraud attempts uncovered at the company in 2024 reached CZK 681 million, slightly below the CZK 727 million recorded in 2023. “Some cases from last year remain under investigation,” said Petr Kafka, head of the company’s investigation department. Kafka noted that business entities were responsible for a larger portion of fraud than individuals, accounting for 72% of cases. “These range from smaller incidents involving hundreds of thousands of crowns to high-value cases. The largest single fraud case uncovered last year amounted to CZK 150 million,” he added.
Kooperativa, another major insurer, investigated 1,133 suspicious claims in 2024, confirming fraudulent activity in 70% of the cases. The company revealed fraud in 750 claims, safeguarding CZK 125 million in total, a figure comparable to the CZK 137 million saved in 2023. According to Dita Němečková, head of Kooperativa’s Investigation and Prevention Department, Prague was the most problematic region, accounting for CZK 32 million in uncovered fraud, while the Pardubice and Vysočina regions reported the lowest levels of fraudulent activity. “The majority of fraud cases involved car insurance, with CZK 54 million saved, followed by property and liability insurance for citizens, which accounted for CZK 30 million,” Němečková noted.
ČSOB Pojišťovna saw a significant year-on-year increase in fraud detection, saving nearly CZK 227 million across 2,400 investigated claims, up 28% from the previous year. Fraudulent or purposeful conduct was confirmed in 1,535 cases. “Most fraud cases were related to property and liability insurance, which were influenced by natural disasters such as thunderstorms and floods in Moravia,” said spokesperson Petr Milata.
Česká Podnikatelská Pojišťovna (ČPP) also recorded an increase in fraud detection, saving CZK 104 million across 880 suspected cases. The insurer highlighted that men between the ages of 30 and 50 committed two-thirds of all fraud cases. Allianz investigators tackled 2,094 cases in 2024, with the majority occurring in Prague, where 340 cases involved fraudulent claims worth CZK 85 million. The Moravian-Silesian Region followed closely behind.
Insurance fraud remains a serious crime in the Czech Republic, with hundreds of perpetrators convicted annually. Penalties depend on the severity of the offense, with sentences ranging up to ten years in prison for high-value fraud cases.
The persistent issue underscores the efforts of insurance companies to identify and combat fraudulent activities while emphasizing the need for continued vigilance in safeguarding against economic crimes.
Source: CTK
