The car insurance claim mistake that could lead to 10-year prison sentence

Car insurance companies have highlighted a when attempting to make a claim that could land drivers up to a decade behind bars.

As becomes more sophisticated, a growing number of motorists are using popular to increase the damage to their vehicle when making a claim to their .

Alicia Hempstead, car insurance expert at , highlighted that, whilst some may think that using the tools could help them to get more money from their insurer, the practice is a type of fraud.

She warned: "Making fraudulent claims using AI tools is insurance fraud and is a criminal offence under the Fraud Act 2006. Offenders who are caught using artificially generated images to make claims, could face imprisonment of up to 10 years and a criminal record.

"Fraudsters who think they will get away with claims because this is new technology should be aware that they could be brought to justice years down the line."

Whilst drivers may feel particularly emotional after having an accident in their car, it is vital that they are honest about the damage to their vehicle when making a claim to their insurance company.

In particular, a number of fraudsters have been caught using generative AI to worsen the damage on their vehicle, such as adding extra dents and scrapes to the bodywork.

Nevertheless, the penalties for fraud can vary significantly, spanning from a community service order to 10 years in prison - not to mention a significant fine and a criminal record.

Alicia noted that being honest to their car insurer is vital for motorists to get the money they need to repair their car and avoid significant penalties, both from their insurance firm and the police.

She advised: "If you do need to make an insurance claim, it's important that you accurately document the damage - and do not apply any filters or edit images, even if it's just to sharpen them."

To help drivers stay safe when making a claim, MoneySuperMarket offered a number of tips motorists should follow when taking photos of the damage on their car.

First, the company recommended that drivers take their photos as soon as possible after the damage occurs. If it is safe to do so, taking a few photographs of the accident scene itself can also help to give context to the insurance company.

Whilst a modern smartphone takes particularly detailed photos, motorists were also urged to make sure that the area is well-lit when taking pictures, particularly for close-up shots.

Finally, MoneySuperMarket urged drivers to never make any edits to the photos, including filters or increasing the sharpness, warning that they could create further complications.