Drivers warned car insurance mistake comes with '10 year prison sentence' More and more motorists are using popular AI tools to increase the damage to their vehicle when making a claim to their insurance company. Drivers warned car insurance mistake comes with '10 year prison sentence' A car insurance claim mistake could lead to a 10-year prison sentence. More and more motorists are using popular AI tools to increase the damage to their vehicle when making a claim to their insurance company. Alicia Hempstead, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, warned: "Making fraudulent claims using AI tools is insurance fraud and is a criminal offence under the Fraud Act 2006. Offenders who are caught using artificially generated images to make claims, could face imprisonment of up to 10 years and a criminal record. ‌ "Fraudsters who think they will get away with claims because this is new technology should be aware that they could be brought to justice years down the line." Article continues below READ MORE Exact dates next UK mini-heatwave start and end with 72-hour scorcher set to hit She advised: "If you do need to make an insurance claim, it’s important that you accurately document the damage – and do not apply any filters or edit images, even if it’s just to sharpen them." ‌ There are currently over 40,500 searches made on Google every month for ‘AI image generation’, but fraudsters trying to fool insurance providers could face harsh punishments if they are found to have used AI tools to digitally manipulate their images. Drivers are reminded that the best time to take photos of car damage is as soon as possible after the damage occurs, as long as it is safe to do so. Road users are also told a camera on a phone is perfectly acceptable for taking damage photos, just make sure the lens is clean and the area is well lit. Article continues below They are also advised that wide shot images are useful to get a wider context of the damage, and close up shots are useful too to help spot details. Always include photos of the license plates involved in the damage, too. Drivers should also strive to capture any interior damage from multiple angles to help with context, as well as close ups, according to experts. And don't edit - even just to make it more clear - because any tampering could see you reprimanded.