Aviva: Consumers bombarded with billions of nuisance calls and texts

Consumers were bombarded with 2.2 billion nuisance calls and texts relating to an injury-related claim, pension, payment protection insurance (PPI) or other insurance-related matter last year, Aviva has found.

This translates to more than six million nuisance calls and texts made every day, or 4,200 calls and texts made every minute, according to research using Ofcom data and commissioned by Aviva.

Some 895 million nuisance calls were made chasing an injury claim for an accident that may or may not have occurred, or other insurance-related matter such as pursuing a holiday sickness claim.

Nuisance calls chasing an accident claim were the most common concern reported by consumers to the Information Commissioners Office.

Those behind cold calling have relentlessly targeted those aged over 65, who received more nuisance calls than any other age group. Nearly one in three (30%) nuisance calls and texts targeted someone 65 or older.

Rob Townend, who has just been appointed managing director of UK general insurance at Aviva, said: “Enough is enough. Nuisance calls are a national epidemic which must be stopped. Whether it is a call chasing an injury you may or may not have sustained in an accident, or a pension scammer attempting to con unsuspecting individuals out of their hard-earned retirement savings, there is no place in our society for them.”

“Aviva is urging the government to put a swift end to these cold calls. The Financial Guidance and Claims Bill currently before Parliament is a terrific opportunity to ban unsolicited calls once and for all. If the government is serious about protecting all members of our society, including the most vulnerable, then it should take decisive action and ban them.”

Mark Dugdale