Fraud News – Page 29
-
News
Dishonest drivers pay higher premiums – Consumer Intelligence
Motorists who lie to insurance companies are paying £286 more on their insurance premiums, according to research published today. The report by market research firm Consumer Intelligence found that insurance companies offer a better price to honest drivers because in their experience they are less likely ...
-
News
Four 'cash for crash' fraudsters jailed in scam against Allianz
Four fraudsters have been jailed for six months each for their part in a ‘cash for crash’ scam against Allianz. Igor Kartel, Dianna Kartel, Valentina Kartel and Piotr Kartel had claimed over £30,000 for whiplash compensation following a rear-end collision in 2012, involving a lorry driven ...
-
News
Supreme Court: Insurers cannot avoid claims over 'collateral lies'
Insurers can no longer avoid paying a claim if there are so-called collateral lies in the claim, the Supreme Court has ruled today. A collateral lie is one that does not affect the validity of the claim. The Supreme Court judges voted four to one to ...
-
News
Accountant faces jail after stealing £24,000 from Biba
An accountant has pleaded guilty to stealing more than £24,000 from Biba, and could face jail. Gurmukh Singh Shehri, 32, signed cheques to himself and paid himself unauthorised bonuses while employed as Biba’s finance manager. He paid himself £11,000 in unapproved bonuses and wrote £13,198 in ...
-
News
Consumers bombarded with 600 million CMC nuisance calls in 2015
Consumers were bombarded with more than 600 million personal injury-related nuisance calls last year, and a further 117 million injury-related nuisance texts, according to research using Ofcom data commissioned by Aviva. This translates to 1.96m calls and texts made every day, or 1,366 calls and texts ...
-
News
IFB celebrates 10th anniversary
The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) celebrated its 10th anniversary with an evening reception in London yesterday. Over 140 guests, including former board members, key stakeholders and staff gathered at Stationers Hall on Ave Maria Lane to celebrate a decade of achievement. The IFB, which is currently ...
-
News
Lawyers team up to fight whiplash crackdown plans
The Law Society has joined forces with claimant groups to lobby against the government’s whiplash crackdown. The national solicitor’s organisation has teamed up with the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and Motor Accident Solicitors Society to oppose the planned changes. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne ...
-
News
Trip claim questioned in court after Facebook comment
A painter and decorator who sued Surrey Council, claiming he tripped on an uneven pavement, could be facing jail for alleged fraud after a Facebook post cast doubt on his story. John Wootton, of Saville Crescent, Ashford, Surrey, injured his wrist when he fell in December ...
-
-
News
CEGA expands fraud investigations team
Medical assistance and claims handling firm CEGA has appointed a special investigator and invested in fraud training. CEGA said George Laney will build on his experience in the company’s claims department and as senior claims advisor. High-level fraud training will be provided for claims and assistance ...
-
News
ABI extends funding to initiative that tackles fraud
The ABI said it will extend the funding commitment to the Insurance Fraud Register (IFR) until 2020. The IFR, which is managed by the industry-sponsored Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), holds details of insurance fraudsters, suppliers and professional enablers. “The industry’s commitment to the IFR indicates that ...
-
News
IFED warns Scottish residents of ghost brokers
Detectives from the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) have warned Scottish residents about ghost brokers targeting their addresses. IFED officers will visit residents in Aberdeen, Inverness and the Isles of Skye and Harris as part of an investigation into suspected ghost brokers ...
-
News
East London 'worst for uninsured vehicles'
East London tops the list of UK’s uninsured driving hot spots, according to Churchill Insurance. East London has the highest proportion of uninsured vehicles at 13.4%, but Birmingham has the most uninsured cars with 55,142 uninsured vehicles. Across the UK, there are over 1 million uninsured ...
-
News
Runner ordered to pay Aviva £9,213 after ‘fundamentally dishonest’ whiplash claim
A runner has been ordered to pay Aviva’s cost of £9,213 after an investigation into his whiplash claim saw him running, hiking and working. During the court hearing at Liverpool Country Court the judge found that 29-year-old William Owen’s whiplash claim was “fundamentally dishonest”. Owen first ...
-
News
Five fraudsters brought low by stupidity or arrogance
Many fraudsters are caught out by their own arrogance, stupidity, a lack of attention to detail, or by pushing their frauds just one scam too far. With specialist police investigators working with the insurance industry, insurers are more alert for inconsistencies and anomalies in claims, and ...
-
News
ABI welcomes FOIL’s statement to tackle fraud
The ABI has welcomed the launch of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL) Statement of Competence for Insurance Solicitors that will help insurance lawyers tackle fraud. The statement highlights that lawyers working for insurers must be alert to fraudulent activity, have knowledge of fraudulent activity relevant ...
-
News
Woman sentenced over income protection fraud
A 45-year-old woman has been sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years after making fraudulent claims on her employer’s income protection insurance policy. Balbinder Mahil from Luton pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and was sentenced in May 2016. Mahil was also ordered ...
-
News
Businessman jailed for £114,000 insurance scam against NFU Mutual
A kitchen business salesman has been jailed for three years after using fake documents to defraud NFU Mutual in a £114,000 insurance claim. Clive Thomas Wade was found guilty of fraud by false representation and sentenced on Friday 24 June at Grimsby Crown Court after a ...
-
News
Insurance saleswoman faces jail for £31k commission fraud
A saleswoman at health insurer Simplyhealth has been sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment for a £31,500 mis-selling scam. Jacqueline Buckmaster, 54, of Rumney, Cardiff, was handed the sentence, which is suspended for two years, at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to fraud by ...
-
News
Telematics data helps uncover £500,000 fraud – Insurethebox
Insurance fraud cases worth £500,000 have been uncovered by telematics underwriting agency Insurethebox using data collected from black boxes inside cars. The firm said it had used the data to disprove 31 claims, involving seven accidents over five months, and taken the drivers to court. In one example, the claimant ...