Hampshire ghost broker pleads guilty after scam on 150 drivers

A fraudster has admitted selling bogus motor insurance policies through his phony company Personal Touch Insurance.

At Southampton Court today Jaymz William Charlton Clarke-Tomlinson from Andover pleaded guilty to 18 counts of fraud by false representation and one count of forgery.

He has been remanded in custody since 7 November 2014 and is due to be sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on 15 May.

Clarke-Tomlinson was arrested by detectives in November 2014 after a handful of drivers reported to Action Fraud at the end of 2013 that they had bought motor insurance through his company but had found the polices were invalid.

The investigation found that 150 drivers, mainly from Hampshire and Dorset, could have fallen victim to the scam with total losses believed to be in the region of £60,000.

Members of Action Fraud initially alerted police after customers began reporting incidents at the end of last year.

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) Cyber Prevention and Disruption Team identified the company’s website as bogus and shut it down.

IFED was then handed a referral from an insurer which reported drivers being fraudulently added to motor trade insurance policies.

IFED said: “Ghost brokers target drivers with ‘cheap’ motor insurance policies but they are fraudulent and anyone who buys one will not be insured.

“This could lead to victims getting their car seized by police, fines, penalties and a criminal record. Uninsured drivers would also have to pick up the bill for any damage or injuries they caused in a crash.”