Crash for cash group sentenced
A man and two women have been sentenced for their part in a crash for cash insurance scam.
The conviction follows an attempted fraud being uncovered by esure, which was then investigated by the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), part of the City of London Police. Officers are also issuing an image of a fourth man, who remains wanted in connection with the fraud.
The three individuals conspired together to submit fraudulent insurance claims, stating that on 23 August 2013, the Vauxhall Corsa they were travelling in together was involved in a collision with a Ford Mondeo in Hertford Road, Edmonton, London.
Claims were made against the insurance policy of the Mondeo driver by Abdi Ali Muse, the driver of the Corsa, and his two passengers; Nimitalah Mohammed and Sulekha Khalif. The trio claimed for a total of around £10,000 between them for personal injury and losses as a result of the accident. As part of the claim, they all stated that they did not know the driver in the other vehicle involved.
The fraud was spotted after the insurer, esure, noticed that the damage to the vehicles was not consistent with the type of collision reported. Its investigators also identified that the driver of the Mondeo had two policies with esure; one for the car he was said to have been driving at the time of the collision, and a separate policy for a Vauxhall Zafira. Furthermore esure discovered the original deposit payments for the two policies were made by other individuals; namely Abdi Ali Muse and Nimitalah Mohammed.
Mohammed and Khalif were both arrested by IFED officers, and Muse was also interviewed, where he admitted that the accident hadn’t occurred as they had all claimed and all three were subsequently charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.
Following a trial at the Old Bailey last November, Muse was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment (suspended for two years), 150 hours unpaid work and fines and costs of £1,000. Khalif was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment (suspended for two years), 75 hours unpaid work and £500 fines and costs. Mohammed was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment (suspended for two years), 50 hours unpaid work, and £1,100 fines and costs.
Officers are also appealing for information regarding the whereabouts of Abulaker Elmi (also known as Abubaker Elmi), who remains wanted in connection with the fraud.
