Could You Spot Insurance Fraud? Many Canadians Don't Recognize Common Scenarios, TD Insurance Survey Finds

Despite 90% believing fraud raises premiums, many overlook everyday actions that could impact their own coverage.

TORONTO, March 19, 2026 /CNW/ - Canadians overwhelmingly agree that insurance fraud is a serious issue, yet many struggle to identify what it can look like in everyday life -- particularly when it comes to easily overlooked details.

A new TD Insurance survey finds that on average, only 58% of Canadians can successfully identify common real-world scenarios as insurance fraud, even as 90% say fraud raises premiums and 79% call it a serious issue.

While nearly all Canadians surveyed (96%) believe others commit "small frauds," only 7% acknowledge they themselves may have done something that could be considered insurance fraud, even unintentionally. This awareness gap highlights a widespread misunderstanding of how easily overlooked details can create unexpected issues, often without people realizing it.

"Many Canadians don't realize that small omissions or outdated information – details that are easy to overlook – can create challenges down the road," says Niro Kandasamy, AVP, Fraud and Special Investigations, TD Insurance. "Many issues can be easily corrected when they're caught early, which is why reviewing and updating your policy matters. Left unaddressed, some details may delay a claim or affect coverage when customers need support the most."

Everyday Behaviours Often Go Unrecognized

When presented with common real–world scenarios, fewer than six in 10 Canadians (58% on average) recognized these behaviours as forms of insurance fraud, including:

• Not updating mileage after driving more frequently
• Not disclosing tenants or short-term rental guests on a home policy
• Registering a vehicle under a parent's name to reduce premiums
• Leaving a partner off an auto policy when they regularly drive the vehicle
• Padding repair estimates

Often unintentional, these oversights can create confusion or complications at claim time – and may leave people less protected than they expect.

Prevention Starts with Awareness

At TD Insurance, fraud prevention goes beyond investigations after the fact. It focuses on identifying risk early, supporting customers in day-to-day questions, and helping Canadians understand how to protect themselves before issues arise.

To help reduce risk and avoid surprises, they encourage Canadians to:

• Review their policy details at least once a year
• Update information when life circumstances change
• Ask questions early if they're unsure what needs to be disclosed

To learn more about Insurance fraud and how you can protect yourself, visit the TDI  Fraud Hub.

About the TD Survey

This TD Insurance survey was conducted by Leger between November 14 and 19, 2025, among 1,641 randomly selected Canadian adults, with additional samples of students and newcomers. Results were weighted by age, gender, region, and language in Quebec to reflect the Canadian population. The margin of error for a probability sample of this size is ±2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

About TD Bank Group

The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank"). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by assets and serves 28.1 million clients in four key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Canada Trust and TD Auto Finance Canada; U.S. Banking, including TD Auto Finance U.S., and TD Wealth (U.S.); Wealth Management and Insurance, including TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities and TD Cowen. TD also ranks among North America's leading digital banks, with more than 13 million active mobile users in Canada and the U.S. TD had $2.1 trillion in assets on January 31, 2026. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange.

SOURCE TD Bank Group

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