Spinning plates felled by telematics
A telematics device uncovered mileage fraud by a couple in Swansea, who had swapped licence plates in an attempt to keep premiums low.
Rebecca Jacques, 20, swapped licence plates with boyfriend Gavin Price when her job as a car worker changed, meaning she would have to drive much further. That would have resulted in a substantial rise in premium.
To prevent that hike, she put her licence plate on her boyfriend’s car and drove that instead, preventing the extra miles from being recorded.
However, the scam came to light when she challenged a parking ticket, claiming that the car wasn’t hers and her licence plate must have been cloned.
The council reported the matter to police, who uncovered the fraud. Both pleaded guilty, with Rebecca sentenced to six months in a young offenders institution suspended for 12 months, and Price to two months in prison suspended for 12 months.
Both cars were seized and disposed of before the couple had pleaded guilty to the offences, which the judge said could lead to civil proceedings against those responsible because it was not clear under what powers the action had been taken.
