Crash-for-cash fraud uncovered in £100k case
Three men have been convicted of an unsuccessful crash for cash fraud cam valued at more than £100,000.
Two men stage a collision involving an Aston Martin and then submitted claims to LV= General Insurance and Direct Line Group.
However, inconsistencies in their claims alerted the insurers, who referred the case to the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED).
Following a three-week trial, one man was sentenced to 18 months in jail while two others received suspended sentences.
IFED detective sergeant Chris Jones, said: “Cases like this demonstrate the greed of insurance fraudsters and the measures they will take for financial gain. Crash for cash fraud pushes up the cost of insurance premiums for the public.
“An average of over £1.3m worth of bogus motor insurance claims were detected each day in 2023, showing that insurance fraud doesn’t go unnoticed by the industry or law enforcement. We will work collaboratively to bring fraudsters to justice, as this case shows.”
Crash-for-cash fraud
Ben Fletcher, director of financial crime at LV=, added: “Cash for crash frauds are a serious problem and these verdicts will serve as a warning to anyone else thinking of staging a crash to falsely claim compensation. The vast majority of claims are genuine, and we do all we can to settle them promptly, but this case highlights the lengths some people will go to make fraudulent claims.”
Stuart Stevens, head of counter fraud intelligence at DLG said:
“We work with all law enforcement agencies to assist them in preparing cases for criminal prosecution. We are delighted that the perpetrators of this fraud have been brought to justice. Their sentences should serve as a stark warning to others that insurance fraud is not a victimless crime, and harsh sentences will be sought in support of Direct Line Group’s zero tolerance approach to insurance fraud.”
