Younger consumers in Japan are more likely to tolerate certain fraudulent insurance claim behaviours and less likely to recognize them as fraud, according to a survey published by the General Insurance Association of Japan (GIAJ) on June 5, 2026. The survey was conducted online from Feb. 5 to 8, 2026, drawing 2,535 valid responses from men and women aged 16 to 69 nationwide, weighted to reflect the national population distribution. It measured two distinct dimensions of consumer behaviour: how tolerant respondents are toward fraudulent claims, and how accurately they identify which behaviours constitute insurance fraud. The previous round was conducted in April 2025 and published in June of that year. The GIAJ said the findings would inform its ongoing work to prevent fraudulent claims across the general insurance sector. “Our association will further promote initiatives aimed at combating fraudulent claims in general insurance and fostering a better understanding of the mechanisms and systems of general insurance,” the GIAJ said in its release.

Survey scope spans literacy, tolerance, and claims experience

Beyond the two core dimensions, the survey examined respondents’ general comprehension of insurance products, what they consider the most important factors in preventing fraud, their emotional responses upon receiving claim payments, and their assessments of existing industry awareness-raising materials such as anti-fraud posters. The GIAJ said it intends to use the results across all of these areas as a reference point for the sector’s future fraud prevention efforts.

Refund fraud cases point to insurer communication risks

The survey’s findings sit against a broader pattern of rising fraud activity in Japan. National Police Agency data cited by Nippon on June 16, 2026, show that losses from specialized fraud in 2025 totalled ¥142.3 billion – up ¥70.4 billion, or 98.0%, from the prior year, the highest figure on record. The number of reported cases rose 32.3% to 27,832. Of direct concern to general insurers, refund fraud – in which victims are falsely told they are owed reimbursements for medical bills or insurance premiums – accounted for 3,179 reported cases. The deliberate use of insurance premium repayment language as a fraud pretext creates a risk that policyholders will mistake criminal solicitations for legitimate insurer correspondence. That risk is more acute in a demographic that already demonstrates weaker literacy around what constitutes fraudulent claims behaviour. Victims in their thirties made up the largest single age group by case count in police impersonation schemes at 2,239, followed by those in their twenties at 1,718.

What the findings mean for claims and communications

The GIAJ survey identifies younger consumers as a segment where both the recognition and social acceptance of insurance fraud are weaker than among older cohorts. This points to a specific challenge in claims handling and fraud detection: schemes that rely on policyholder confusion – such as refund fraud using insurance premium pretexts – are more likely to find traction in a population that does not clearly distinguish between fraudulent and legitimate claims behaviour. The data also raises questions about how the industry designs its policyholder communications and anti-fraud campaigns. The GIAJ has indicated it will use the survey results as a reference point for the sector’s future prevention efforts.