Industry leaders say bogus claims rose 14% last year, pushing up premiums for all customers
An insurance fraudster who pocketed more than 14,000 for the supposed theft of Lego sets, fishing gear and gaming consoles was behind one of last year’s most high-profile bogus claims.
Investigators uncovered 1.34bn of fraud in 2025, a 14% increase on the year before, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
The Lego fraudster, Matthew Johnson, was sentenced to 28 months in prison last December after an investigation by the City of London police’s insurance fraud enforcement department.
Johnson, of Misterton in Nottinghamshire, submitted false claims to Axa Insurance between May 2021 and January 2022, relating to alleged burglaries at properties in Shetland and Goole, East Yorkshire.
He claimed that high-value items had been stolen, including MacBooks, televisions, gaming consoles, fishing equipment and large quantities of collectible Lego sets. Johnson received more than 14,000 in insurance payouts across four claims. He was ordered by Nottingham crown court to repay the money.
Axa raised concerns after inconsistencies were identified in the documentation provided by Johnson, including repeated use of the same receipts across different claims and invoices that appeared to have been altered to match the policy address.
The ABI and police warned that insurance fraud pushed up the cost of premiums for all customers.
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