Fraudster staged 16 fake crashes using women he met on dating sites

A Dorset man who manipulated women he met on dating sites into taking part in staged road collisions has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for a series of insurance fraud offences.

Nathan Atkins, 46, of Redwood Drive, Ferndown, was described as “predatory in his approach” after orchestrating deliberate crashes, beginning in June 2020, to generate fraudulent motor insurance claims.

He used multiple aliases to conceal his identity and gain the trust of women he met online. Atkins persuaded victims to follow scripted crash scenarios at specific locations, purchasing at least seven vehicles from car auctions to facilitate the scams.

An investigation led by the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (Ifed) – with support from the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) – uncovered 16 fraudulent claims linked to Atkins. The first, in 2020, involved his then-partner and resulted in a payout of £1,831.50.

Detective constable Carley Parodi at Ifed said Atkins’ actions demonstrated a calculated disregard for human safety.

She said: “Atkins preyed on vulnerable women, using them as pawns in staged collisions that could have ended in tragedy. It’s nothing short of a miracle that no one was seriously injured or killed.”

Seven months pregnant

The fraud was exposed when officers identified that both policyholder and third-party vehicles in multiple collisions were connected to the same policy where Atkins was a named holder. Mobile phone data later confirmed that women involved in the incidents were listed in his contacts and had ongoing personal relationships with him.

In one of the most disturbing cases, Atkins arranged a collision involving a woman who was seven months pregnant. None of the women involved profited from the scheme and each received a police caution after admitting their involvement.

Nicola Smith, intelligence and investigations manager at the IFB, said the case highlighted a “lesser-known fraud tactic” that exploited both victims and insurers.

She said: “By exploiting vulnerable women he met on dating sites, Atkins encouraged them to take part in dangerous crash for cash scams – implicating them in fraud and putting innocent people in harm’s way. We hope this case warns others against such reckless activity.”

Atkins pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud by false representation at Bournemouth Crown Court in July 2025. A compensation order of £6,000 has also been requested.