When it comes to claiming mileage, the following tactics are commonplace if drivers don’t believe they will be caught out:
- Exaggerating the length of journeys by rounding up mileage. This is the most commonly used method for inflating claims and can be endemic in companies
- Claiming for journeys they made but did not pay for (e.g. colleagues share a car and each claims the mileage)
- Making unnecessary journeys to capitalise on over generous pence-per-mile fuel expenses rates
- Fabricating journeys entirely (for personal profit or to compensate for an inadequate pence-per-mile fuel rate)
- Using fuel cards to fill up other vehicles entirely
The best deterrent against over-claiming is mileage audit. If drivers know their reports are liable to be vetted for anomalies at any time, they are less likely to exaggerate their claim.
