NFU Mutual and IFB Team Up on Rural Crime

The latest update from NFU Mutual for you;

This Rural Crime Action Week, NFU Mutual has teamed up with the Insurance Fraud Bureau to raise awareness of the risks and pernicious consequences of rural insurance fraud and financial crime.

The isolated nature of rural communities means they have long been a target for criminals, with rural crime costing an estimated £41.5 million in 2025.

Unfortunately, this isolation also means that rural communities can be a prime target or source of fraud, with offences ranging from identity theft to misrepresentation on an insurance claim. As technology develops and farmers and countryside communities rely increasingly on digital systems, fraudsters are continuously looking for ways to target vulnerabilities.

To put the scale of the issue into perspective, counter fraud teams at the leading rural insurer NFU Mutual carried out over 6,000 investigations in 2025, identifying and preventing £43.2 million worth of fraud – greater than the cost of genuine rural crime.

Charlotte Brown, Counter Fraud Manager at NFU Mutual, said:

“Fraud is not a victimless crime, and its effects on individuals and communities can be long lasting. Farmers and the wider rural community find themselves the victims of theft and criminal damage far too often, and unfortunately they have become targets for scammers as well.

“Insurance fraud is no less a crime. It trivialises an issue which is plaguing the countryside and causes daily worry to farmers, and left unchecked and uncovered it could also have real consequences for insurance cover and premiums.

“NFU Mutual has responded to the threat by putting in place extra controls and checks to identify fraudsters, both when they claim and when they attempt to take out insurance. But we can all do our bit to protect rural communities from the impact of fraud, so I’d urge everyone to report their suspicions.”

Farms and other rural businesses, as well as individuals, are vulnerable to identity theft or account takeover, where criminals can access systems steal or falsely borrow money, or make purchases, with synthetic identity fraud a growing concern. Synthetic identities are those which blend real stolen identity information with false personas, with fraudsters then using these identities to take out products or loans in the victim’s name.

Rural businesses are also targeted by supply chain scammers and those selling misrepresenting valuable equipment – and sometimes inventing it entirely – to induce payment. Additionally, delinked payment schemes like the Sustainable Farm Initiative (SFI) scheme can be used by fraudsters to trick farmers into providing payment information.

Those who believe they may have been targeted in this way should report it to Report Fraud, and always independently check the source of information through contact details not provided by the suspected fraudster.

NFU Mutual has partnered with the Insurance Fraud Bureau to raise awareness of the risks and effect of fraud specifically related to insurance. This type of fraud includes people making false or inflated injury claims against a business or individual, and many fraudsters will also engineer road collisions or other accidents in a bid to win a payout, with ‘crash for cash’ schemes a common scam. In remote areas with fewer witnesses or CCTV, rural communities can be vulnerable to this type of scam.

False insurance claims

Another fraud risk is that of people making false or inflated claims on their own policy. This can include misrepresenting the value of livestock or machinery, exaggerating losses of livestock or when buildings are damaged, or attempting to take out insurance under false pretences or failing to disclose information. Insurers across the country are also the wider use of artificial intelligence to create false evidence when lodging claims.

While these types of fraud are less common, they still impact the rural community by giving a misleading view of risk and forcing insurers to pay out money on fraudulent claims.

John Davies, Intelligence and Investigations Manager at the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), said:

“Insurance fraud has a devastating impact on rural communities, leaving victims in emotional distress and financial hardship. Over the past two years, we’ve seen cases of identity theft linked to insurance fraud nearly double, and people living in rural areas are often targeted.

“This Rural Crime Action Week, we’re teaming up with NFU Mutual to encourage people to be vigilant to the signs of insurance fraud, helping them protect themselves and their communities. If you’ve seen something that doesn’t look right and suspect it could be insurance fraud, report it to our anonymous CheatLine.”