6% of UK adults aged 18-75 had heard the term ‘Ghost Broking’
Respondents who said they have heard of the term ‘Ghost Broking’ (n=137) were asked an open-end question: ‘And what do you think 'Ghost Broking' is?’ The following are the proportion, among the total sample, that spontaneously provided answers that correctly identify the term:
- Insurance scam/ fraud/ someone pretends to be a broker – 3%
- Selling fake/ invalid insurance/ insurance that doesn't exist – 2%
- Selling fake car insurance – 0.4%
In addition to awareness and knowledge of the term, the survey examined perceptions of the risks and consequences of unknowingly driving with fraudulent insurance, and confidence in knowing where to report suspected cases. It also investigated consumers' motor insurance purchasing behaviours, payment methods, and experiences that may indicate exposure to potential fraud. In addition, it explores how people assess the legitimacy of insurance brokers and gathers views on potential ways the insurance industry could take to tackle ghost broking.
Technical note:
On behalf of the Chartered Insurance Institute, Ipsos interviewed a representative quota sample of 2,194 adults aged 18-75 in the UK on i:omnibus – Ipsos’ online omnibus service. Among the total sample, 1500 have personally arranged motor insurance either for themselves or for someone else in the last 3 years. The sample achieved is representative of this audience, with broad interlocking quotas on age within gender, and quotas on region and working status. Data have been weighted to the known offline population proportions for interlocking cells of gender within age and working status, as well as region, social grade, education and ethnicity to reflect the adult population. Fieldwork was conducted 26th – 30th June 2026.
