My travel companion wants me to support an exaggerated insurance claim

My friend’s bag arrived damaged and several items were missing.

The loss is real. The inventory she wants to submit is not.

She has listed a newer version of her headphones, added clothing she thinks may have been packed, and estimated every item at the original retail price. She says insurers always reduce claims, so starting high is the only way to receive a fair amount.

Then she asked me to confirm that I saw the items in the bag.

I saw her pack. I cannot certify every object, model, condition, or value. I also do not know the current carrier deadlines, coverage terms, exclusions, depreciation rules, documentation standards, or claim process. Those need to be checked directly with the carrier, insurer, card benefit administrator, or other responsible provider.

What I do know is that uncertainty should be labeled as uncertainty. A claim can describe what is missing, provide honest estimates where permitted, and attach receipts, photographs, baggage reports, repair assessments, or other records that actually exist. It should not convert the expected negotiation into permission to invent a stronger starting point.

My friend says refusing to back her up means I believe the company over her. I do believe her bag was damaged. I do not believe friendship requires me to become evidence.

I am willing to write a narrow factual statement: I traveled with her, saw the damaged bag, and accompanied her when she discovered the loss. I will not claim direct knowledge I do not have, sign a prewritten account that overstates it, or let my name be used as general confirmation.

Would you offer a limited statement, refuse any involvement, or help reconstruct an accurate inventory? How do you support someone through a frustrating claim without allowing “they will reduce it anyway” to become the moral logic of the paperwork?