Dishonest motorists who see insurance as a way to make money may have a nasty surprise. Figures released by the ABI (Association of British Insurers) show that in 2007 insurers uncovered £5 million of fraudulent car insurance claims every week. That's a rise of 70% over the last three years.

Cheats who have been caught out include:

• A woman claiming for damage to her Land Rover when it hit the front of her house. She claimed that her foot slipped off the brake, but she did it deliberately, following an argument with her partner.
• A man who pushed his car over a cliff, then claimed it had been stolen so that he could use the insurance payout to meet his Hire Purchase payments.
• The owner of a Rolls Royce who claimed £10,000 for the alleged theft of the front grill, hubcaps, steering wheel, seats and bonnet mascot. The police found the items in his home and he received a criminal conviction.

Nick Starling, the ABI's Director of General Insurance and Health, said "Insurance fraud is no victimless crime. Honest motorists pay through higher insurance premiums - an extra £40 a year on average. This is why insurers are ramping up their crackdown to weed out the cheats. Anyone committing insurance fraud is more likely to get caught, risks a criminal record, and will find future insurance and credit harder to obtain and more expensive."