Life insurance fraud: scammers intensify efforts in 2025
Insurers detected €24.8 million in fraud in 2025, according to ALFA. Identity theft and fake bank account details dominate criminal techniques.
Spectacular rise in detected fraud
According to jechange.fr and data from the Anti-Insurance Fraud Agency (ALFA), insurers detected €24.8 million in life insurance fraud in 2025. The amount has nearly doubled in a year, placing this branch among the insurance sectors most affected by fraud.
The ALFA report, published on 9 July 2026, records €946.3 million in identified fraud across all branches, up 4.9% compared to the previous year. Although life insurance remains the smallest of the major branches in terms of claims, it is growing fastest. The agency also estimates that actual fraud, whether detected or not, would reach €2.5 billion per year.
Three techniques dominate: identity theft, fake bank details, forged documents
Ninety-eight per cent of identified frauds concern savings contracts. Three procedures represent the bulk of attacks: identity theft, fake bank account details (RIB) and document fraud. All aim at the same objective: to divert money from the contract for the benefit of a third party.
Identity theft consists of impersonating the contract holder in order to request a withdrawal. Fake bank account details redirect funds to an account controlled by the fraudster. Document fraud relies on presenting forged documents to the insurer.
These three techniques require no involvement from the legitimate contract holder. They exploit personal information obtained elsewhere — via data breaches, purchases on the black market or requests for information purporting to be official — and then present them to the insurer as if they came from the saver themselves.
Why savings are vulnerable
A life insurance contract in the savings phase contains capital available that its holder can recover by withdrawal. Unlike claims phases, the fraudster does not need to simulate an event: he only needs to divert the money when it exits the contract. Sums placed in an euro fund or in units of account are exposed in the same way.
This concentration explains why life insurance has become a preferred target. Other branches have their own procedures: damage photos retouched by artificial intelligence in home insurance, simulated accidents in motor insurance.
The role of fake advisers
The first contact often comes through a fake intermediary. A call or message purportedly sent by the bank or insurer serves to collect supporting documents that will make the impersonation credible. This tactic, known as the fake adviser scam, prepares the ground for the following steps.
Severe penalties for perpetrators
Fraud is punishable by five years' imprisonment and a €375,000 fine. Attempted fraud is punished by the same penalties, even if the insurer blocks payment. Forged documents and their use further fall under the offence of forgery, punished by three years' imprisonment and a €45,000 fine.
Verification, the first defence
A saver who requests a withdrawal sometimes wonders about the supporting documents requested, particularly after a bank change. These requests do not testify to distrust towards the customer: they constitute the main filter against impersonation. Each verification targets precisely one of the three procedures.
A change in bank details remains the most sensitive moment. If you change banks, notify your insurer of the new account yourself and keep a written record of the transaction. A request for an update that you did not request must be verified through an official channel.
Vigilance habits
Protection relies less on technology than on a few habits. A contract holder who regularly reviews their contract will spot any unusual movement before it is too late. An alert about an unsolicited transaction requires a reaction on the same day: contact the insurer at the number listed on your contract documents, never at the number indicated in a call or message received.
The ACPR recorded 1,190 entries to its blacklist of fraudulent institutions in 2025, of which 62% usurped the identity of an authorised institution. This figure groups together fraud relating to credit, savings accounts, payments and insurance. Recognising a duly authorised intermediary remains a preliminary step to any engagement with a life insurance broker.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)