The Irish Insurance Federation said a telephone service which invites people to report fraudulent insurance claims is a "resounding success" with 750 calls from the public over the last six months.
The majority of the calls referred to motor claims and came from a range of sources, including friends, neighbours and family members of suspected fraudsters, said the federation.
The telephone service is aimed at tackling the problem of fraudulent claims which cost the industry an estimated €100 million a year.
Following the response to the service, insurance firms are to fund a nationwide advertising campaign, beginning in the autumn, to continue highlighting the effect of bogus claims on the cost of insurance premiums. The campaign will consist of anti-fraud messages on all national radio stations, supported by billboard images and advertisements.
Since the phone line was established in February, approximately 63 per cent of calls related to motor claims, 23 per cent to personal injury claims and 9 per cent to property claims.
The chief executive of the federation, Mr Michael Kemp, said the reaction from the public showed there was a strong desire for action against fraudulent claimants.
"In our view, the myth that insurance fraud is a victimless crime and that no one pays the cost of dishonest or exaggerated insurance claims must be exposed for what it is, a fallacy; and one that costs honest policyholders millions of euro every week," he said.
"To date, the telephone helpline has received reports of insurance frauds from people connected to the suspected fraudster in a number of ways including relatives and friends, neighbours, customers, employers and ex-employers, employees and work colleagues."
Insurance fraud investigators say they have come across a wide variety of frauds, including the staging of accidents, exaggeration of claims, filing of false declarations and the taking out of multiple policies to cover the same risk in order to make multiple claims.
Mr Kemp said the federation supported the Government's plans to combat false and spurious personal injury claims through the Civil Liability and Courts Bill.
"The sooner this piece of legislation gets published and reaches the statute books the better for all insurance customers," he said.
The Irish Insurance Federation's "Insurance Confidential" telephone service can be contacted on: 1890 333 333.
