Can someone claim on my car insurance without me knowing about it?

Accidents can be quite the plot twist in our driving adventures, and other drivers might decide to file an insurance claim against you without giving you a heads up. So, yes — they can and there’s a few different ways they can.

Car cloning

Car cloning is a form of identity theft where someone copies your car’s number plate and attaches it to the same make and model. This is so any crimes they commit will be linked to you as the registered keeper.

You were involved in a hit & run

If you or someone driving your car gets involved in a hit and run, and no one wants to swap info, it can leave you in a situation that's both confusing and potentially costly. But if someone's eagle-eyed enough to jot down your car's plate number, they can request a data access request to the Motor Insurance Database to find out who your insurer is. It's a bit like playing detective to make sure people own up to their responsibilities.

You’ve had an accident

You have an accident with another car, and you both decide at the scene that it's not worth making a claim – you even inform your insurance company about this mutual decision. However, down the road, the other driver has a change of heart and decides they want to go through with a claim after all. They can get in touch with your insurance provider, who can go ahead and resolve the claim.

If your car insurance pays out because of a claim made by someone else, your premiums might increase.

Also, your clean driving record might not look so pristine anymore. Most insurers keep track of your driving mishaps using a points system.  If you gather too many points, you could be looking at a suspended or revoked license. There’re a few ways this can work. There are the points you can receive on your licence, which are stored by the DVLA. You can get these from being at fault for accidents, driving under the influence, excessive speeding and other big offences. On the other hand, there are also points that you might get based off a telematics or black box. These are boxes that are put into your car to score your driving on different aspects. They’re usually part of your policy with your car insurer.

Third-party claims can impact your car insurance in a few ways. If a claim is made against you, and your insurance pays out, it's likely to increase the cost of your car insurance.

If you try to make a fake car insurance claim, you might face some consequences.

• The claim is denied.
• Your insurance policy could be cancelled.
• Legal issues may arise.
• You might need to repay the insurance company. 

Even without legal issues, premiums could go up, making future insurance more costly. So, honesty with your insurance company is the best policy.