0:00:02 > 0:00:06'Insurance fraud in the UK is reaching epidemic levels
0:00:06 > 0:00:09'and it's costing us billions of pounds a year.'
0:00:09 > 0:00:14'Deliberate crashes, bogus personal-injury claims -
0:00:14 > 0:00:16'even fake deaths.'
0:00:18 > 0:00:21'The fraudsters are risking more and more to make a quick killing.'
0:00:22 > 0:00:27'And, every year, it's adding up to £50 to your insurance bill.'
0:00:29 > 0:00:32'Insurers are fighting back.'
0:00:32 > 0:00:35'Armed with covert surveillance systems,...'
0:00:35 > 0:00:39CCTV cameras are the best tool we've got in our fight against fraud.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42'..sophisticated data-analysis techniques...'
0:00:42 > 0:00:46This is connected to a bank account and a second mobile-phone number.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49'..and a newly-formed dedicated police unit,...'
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Police! Step back!
0:00:51 > 0:00:54'..they're catching the criminals red-handed.'
0:00:54 > 0:00:58'All those conmen, scammers, cheats on the fiddle -
0:00:58 > 0:01:01'now they're caught in the act
0:01:01 > 0:01:04'and claimed and shamed.'
0:01:11 > 0:01:14'Today the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department
0:01:14 > 0:01:17'is raiding two houses in a hunt for suspects.'
0:01:17 > 0:01:18Police!
0:01:18 > 0:01:20'An incident on a roundabout
0:01:20 > 0:01:24'illustrates that the roads are far from safe.'
0:01:24 > 0:01:29We believe it was an induced crash and the two cars were in collusion.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32'And one claimer appears to have made a surprising recovery,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34'judging by these pictures.'
0:01:39 > 0:01:42'Insurers are increasingly using surveillance
0:01:42 > 0:01:44'to combat insurance fraud,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48'which makes even the most meticulous of deceptions
0:01:48 > 0:01:50'unlikely to succeed,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53'as this next case shows.'
0:01:53 > 0:01:56'A motorway collision resulted in a victim's vehicle
0:01:56 > 0:01:59'being forced against the central reservation.'
0:01:59 > 0:02:01'Due to the extent of his injuries,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05'the victim subsequently submitted a claim for compensation.'
0:02:05 > 0:02:09'Geoff Owen is a consultant with law firm Greenwoods,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12'which has an anti-fraud group that worked on the case.'
0:02:12 > 0:02:15He had injuries to his neck,
0:02:15 > 0:02:17his shoulder and his arms,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21as a result of which, he had loss of sensation in both of his arms.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25He said he couldn't drive because, as well as the physical injury,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28he also had a psychological aversion to travel.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33'The claimant said that all this meant he could not return to work.'
0:02:33 > 0:02:36When you have a claim which involves an inability to work or to travel,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38it begins to escalate.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41This claim reached the heady numbers of £500,000
0:02:41 > 0:02:46and that's a claim which the insurers take very seriously indeed.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49'As part of the claims process, he went for medical examinations
0:02:49 > 0:02:53'to assess his injuries and the length of recovery.'
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Early on, the doctor said he could return to work within two years.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00He also went for psychiatric assessment
0:03:00 > 0:03:04and the doctor there thought he could resume work in six months,
0:03:04 > 0:03:08so it was very surprising when he hadn't returned to work
0:03:08 > 0:03:10quite quickly after the accident.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14'The growing claim and the fact that he hadn't returned to his job
0:03:14 > 0:03:17'led them to investigate further.'
0:03:17 > 0:03:21There were suspicions raised that the type of claim arising
0:03:21 > 0:03:24was out of proportion to the injury that had been sustained.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29'This gave the insurers serious misgivings,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31'so they put the claimant under surveillance
0:03:31 > 0:03:35'and brought in a team of specialist investigators.'
0:03:35 > 0:03:38'The man who led the project has to remain anonymous
0:03:38 > 0:03:41'so he can continue working in the field.'
0:03:41 > 0:03:44'The first challenge was to track down the claimant.'
0:03:44 > 0:03:50We were given three addresses - he was quite evasive initially -
0:03:50 > 0:03:54and he lived in high-rise blocks of flats.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59That is a difficulty because you have to ID the claimant first.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02'They eventually pinpointed where he lived
0:04:02 > 0:04:05'and started surveillance on the main door to the block of flats -
0:04:05 > 0:04:08'the only way in or out - or so they thought.'
0:04:08 > 0:04:11We placed him under a few periods of surveillance,
0:04:11 > 0:04:16but he didn't come out at any time, which we thought was rather strange.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18'The surveillance continued
0:04:18 > 0:04:22'and eventually they made a breakthrough.'
0:04:22 > 0:04:26It transpired that the claimant was first sighted
0:04:26 > 0:04:30when he came out of a back, ground-floor lounge door,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33which led out onto an enclosed patio
0:04:33 > 0:04:38and then scaled a four-and-a-half foot wrought-iron railing fence.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40That was his mode of access
0:04:40 > 0:04:44every time he left the property and went back in.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48You try and take an impartial view when you get on plot,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51but when somebody jumps over a railing -
0:04:51 > 0:04:53it was an unusual thing to do.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56'Not only was he displaying athletic abilities
0:04:56 > 0:05:00'that were inconsistent with the level of injury he was claiming for,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04'but his behaviour implied that he suspected he was being observed.'
0:05:04 > 0:05:06'The undercover filming continued
0:05:06 > 0:05:10'and more revelations were to come.'
0:05:10 > 0:05:14He suggested that he couldn't drive and we filmed him driving.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17He said he had difficulty getting in and out of vehicles,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20but the film we obtained of him
0:05:20 > 0:05:25clearly showed that he didn't have difficulties accessing vehicles.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27As the video footage carries on,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31he continues to drive long distances and he starts to go shopping
0:05:31 > 0:05:35and one day returns home with a huge weight of bottles of water.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38For a man who wasn't supposed to use his arms,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42particularly to carry weights, that was quite surprising.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46'The video evidence was shot over a significant period of time
0:05:46 > 0:05:50'and appeared to contradict the level of injury being claimed.'
0:05:51 > 0:05:53As non-medical experts,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56he didn't appear to be in any particular pain or discomfort.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59He wasn't grimacing, he didn't have to stop.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02'Eventually, the case went to court
0:06:02 > 0:06:05'and the claimant argued for a substantial payout,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09'but the insurers' video evidence questioned his version of events.'
0:06:09 > 0:06:13He represented himself, didn't do very well -
0:06:13 > 0:06:15he received £9,500,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18which was for the genuine injury that he had sustained,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21but the rest of his claim was disallowed by the judge.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25'That meant he received only a tiny proportion
0:06:25 > 0:06:28'of the huge amount that he originally demanded.'
0:06:28 > 0:06:32It's difficult to know why claimants do this sort of thing.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34It can only be driven by greed.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38There's a feeling that there's a cash cow that they want to tap into.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43What they have to realise is that insurers are becoming aware of this
0:06:43 > 0:06:45and are doing their best to stop it.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53'An insurer sniffs out a snide claim
0:06:53 > 0:06:55'for a supposedly lost Rolex.'
0:06:55 > 0:07:00If the claim was genuine, we would be able to pay her for the loss.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04'And a van driver is apparently targeted by a suspected crash gang.'
0:07:04 > 0:07:07I think pretty clearly, soon afterwards,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09he knew there'd been a problem.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19'In the fight against the growing problem of insurance fraud,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22'an elite police squad have come together to form IFED -
0:07:22 > 0:07:25'the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department.'
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Insurance fraud isn't a victimless crime -
0:07:27 > 0:07:29£50 of the premium you pay each year
0:07:29 > 0:07:31goes to the fraudsters.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33We are tackling that problem.
0:07:33 > 0:07:39'This dedicated team works tirelessly to bang up the conmen
0:07:39 > 0:07:42'getting rich off other people's money.'
0:07:42 > 0:07:43Police!
0:07:43 > 0:07:47It's our intention to create a climate of fear for the fraudster.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50There's every chance that an IFED detective may come knocking
0:07:50 > 0:07:54to arrest them for insurance fraud.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Police! Stay where you are!
0:07:56 > 0:08:00'By April 2012, after only six months of operating,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02'they had already busted 80 fraudsters,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06'adding up to £12 million of fraud under investigation.'
0:08:08 > 0:08:11These people are criminals. These are nasty people.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14They don't go out to work on a Monday like most people do.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Their work is submitting insurance-fraud claims.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28'The Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department
0:08:28 > 0:08:32'is investigating an alleged large-scale car-insurance fraud,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35'involving multiple suspects and several locations.'
0:08:35 > 0:08:38'DS Mark Forster is leading the investigation.'
0:08:38 > 0:08:42He's travelling with his team to make a raid on the first address.'
0:08:42 > 0:08:45We are going to execute search warrants
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and hopefully make five arrests
0:08:48 > 0:08:50in relation to setting up -
0:08:50 > 0:08:53fraudulent setting up - of motor-trading policies.
0:08:53 > 0:09:00They are doing it to get access to the motor insurers' database,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02to therefore sell on insurance,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06so they are targeting young drivers in London,
0:09:06 > 0:09:10charging them £300, £400, £500 each
0:09:10 > 0:09:14to then have their vehicles put on the motor insurers' database
0:09:14 > 0:09:18which shows them as being insured, when in fact they are not.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23'The team arrive at the property.'
0:09:23 > 0:09:26'They hope to find four suspects,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29'so the size of the operation means they have extensive back-up.'
0:09:31 > 0:09:34- Police, open up! - Let's see what he has got.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37He's coming.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42'The door is opened by one of the residents and they are in.'
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Police!
0:09:45 > 0:09:50Police! Police officers! Police! Police! Police!
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Stay there for me, please.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Get some clothes on, please.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00We'll get everyone downstairs and explain what is going on.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03'Meanwhile, in a nearby neighbourhood,
0:10:03 > 0:10:08'TI Alex Cooley is about to lead the raid on the second property.'
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Moving into position now, a couple of people on the back door.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15I will be going in the front door along with the support group,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18these guys in uniform.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Come down, mate. Police. Come down now.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Now! Get down to the door or it's going in, mate!
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Open up the door or it's going to be opened.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46- It's taking too long. - It's all right. Here he is.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52'At the last minute, the man complies and opens the door.'
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Got a warrant to search your premises.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02'They enter the house and go through the rooms.'
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Yes, we're from the City of London Police,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10we have got a warrant from the magistrates
0:11:10 > 0:11:13to search for any documentation relating to insurance fraud.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17We're interested in motor-insurance fraud. That's why we are here.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22We will aim to do things as quick as possible.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26'Back at property one, Mark has the suspects gathered in the lounge.'
0:11:26 > 0:11:31I'm arresting you on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, OK?
0:11:31 > 0:11:35And also on suspicion of money laundering, OK?
0:11:35 > 0:11:38You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence
0:11:38 > 0:11:42if you do not mention something which you later rely on in court.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Anything you do say may be given in evidence.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Yeah, we'll interview you.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Nothing inside your waistband.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56'In all, four suspects are formally arrested, searched and handcuffed.'
0:11:59 > 0:12:02'They are then taken from the house for further questioning
0:12:02 > 0:12:04'at a local police station.'
0:12:05 > 0:12:09'IFED suspects they are involved in fraudulently adding uninsured cars
0:12:09 > 0:12:12'to the motor insurers' database.'
0:12:12 > 0:12:15'But they will only be able to back that up if they find evidence
0:12:15 > 0:12:19'from a thorough search of the house.'
0:12:22 > 0:12:24You do get the impression
0:12:24 > 0:12:27they don't cover their tracks as well as other fraudsters may do.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36'One of the most dangerous forms of car-insurance fraud
0:12:36 > 0:12:38'is the induced collision.'
0:12:38 > 0:12:41'This is where gang members drive two cars in such a way
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'as to cause an innocent driver to smash into them,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47'giving the impression that they are to blame for the accident
0:12:47 > 0:12:50'and therefore liable to pay out on their insurance.'
0:12:50 > 0:12:53'It's known as "crash for cash" and it works like this.'
0:12:53 > 0:12:56'First, the gang choose a victim.'
0:12:56 > 0:12:59'Then they move their two cars into position in front of the target.'
0:12:59 > 0:13:03'Gang car number one then slams on its brakes,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05'gang car two reacts and brakes,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08'resulting in a rear-end shunt from the victim.'
0:13:08 > 0:13:11'Gang car one turns off at the next turning,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13'pretending to be unaware of the cash.'
0:13:13 > 0:13:16'Fleet vehicles are especially at risk -
0:13:16 > 0:13:19'fraudsters need to ensure victims have insurance.'
0:13:19 > 0:13:21'Peter Oakes is the Head of Fraud
0:13:21 > 0:13:24'at a law firm that worked with a company targeted by one such gang.'
0:13:24 > 0:13:28'He worked on one case which seemed to be a standard collision.'
0:13:28 > 0:13:31The car was going round a roundabout,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34it came to a halt because of the actions of another vehicle
0:13:34 > 0:13:38and the Ocado van is alleged to have crashed into the claimant vehicle.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41'The company was then contacted by the driver of the car,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45'who submitted a substantial compensation claim.'
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Three claims of personal injury, vehicle damage, credit hire,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51storage charges - all of the usual things
0:13:51 > 0:13:54that go with the personal-injury claims that are made,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57in addition to the claimant's solicitors' fees.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00If the claim had gone through and been successful,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02it would have cost Ocado about £40,000.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05'The claimant didn't realise
0:14:05 > 0:14:08'that the company was using cutting-edge technology.'
0:14:08 > 0:14:10The vans are fitted with cameras,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12which record throughout the journey
0:14:12 > 0:14:14on a half-hour loop.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Every time there is a vehicle incident,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20the driver will report it to his manager
0:14:20 > 0:14:25and that winds its way to our in-house insurance department,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28who will look at the camera footage from that incident.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31'The footage in this case
0:14:31 > 0:14:34'was studied to see if it matched the claimant's version of events.'
0:14:34 > 0:14:38'Instead it told a significantly different story.'
0:14:38 > 0:14:42What it actually shows is the Ocado vehicle going onto a roundabout
0:14:42 > 0:14:44and it's preceded by two vehicles,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47a Vauxhall Zafira and Vauxhall Corsa.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52The Zafira appears to indicate that he doesn't know where he's going.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56He goes to leave the roundabout and then back on at the last minute,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59apparently leaving the Corsa with nowhere to go.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03The Corsa performs an emergency braking manoeuvre
0:15:03 > 0:15:07and the Ocado vehicle is only just able to stop in time.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11We believe it was an induced crash and the two cars were in collusion.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16'The key thing the footage shows is that there is no collision.'
0:15:16 > 0:15:20'Thanks to the driver's reactions, he managed to avoid a smash.'
0:15:20 > 0:15:23'The evidence disproves the claimant's story
0:15:23 > 0:15:28'and also appears to show there was an attempt at an induced collision.'
0:15:28 > 0:15:31I don't know if the driver knew that he was a victim of crash for cash,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34but you can hear the surprise in his voice.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40He pulls over afterwards and exchanges details,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43I think, pretty clearly soon afterwards,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45he knew there had been a problem.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50'With solid proof that there was no collision, the company took action.'
0:15:50 > 0:15:54We wrote to the claimant's solicitors and said we wouldn't pay,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57in our belief it was fraudulent in its entirety.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01And, as is typical, we didn't hear from those solicitors again.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03'Thanks to the video evidence,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07'the claimant didn't get a payout for a collision that never happened
0:16:07 > 0:16:09'and was left empty-handed.'
0:16:16 > 0:16:18'Between 2010 and 2011,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22'three quarters of a million house burglaries were reported in the UK
0:16:22 > 0:16:26'and insurers received domestic and personal-theft claims
0:16:26 > 0:16:29'totalling £415 million.'
0:16:31 > 0:16:35'Whilst for most people, a burglary is traumatic event,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39'others see it as a golden opportunity to make quick cash.'
0:16:41 > 0:16:45'Paul Hubbard is Head of Counter Fraud at an insurance company
0:16:45 > 0:16:48'which was landed with one such spurious claim.'
0:16:48 > 0:16:53In this case, the customer submitted a claim to us for a burglary.
0:16:53 > 0:16:59There were several high-value items, including a £2,500 Rolex watch.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02'With such a high-value item listed on the claim form,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05'the insurer needed to find out more.'
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Our next step was to go and speak to her
0:17:10 > 0:17:14and find out more detail from her about what had happened
0:17:14 > 0:17:17and see if we could find some proof of ownership
0:17:17 > 0:17:19that, if the claim was genuine,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22we would be able to pay her for the loss that had occurred.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26'When the investigator asked to see proof of ownership of the watch,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30'things started to unravel for the claimant.'
0:17:31 > 0:17:35He suggested perhaps she would have a photograph of the watch.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40She said she did, but it had been wiped from her BlackBerry.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43So she said that, while she no longer had a photograph of it,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46she knew her friend did.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50'When they received the photograph, almost two months later,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54'forensic image analysis led to an intriguing development in the case.'
0:17:56 > 0:17:58They looked at the photograph
0:17:58 > 0:18:02and what they actually found was that the photograph had been taken
0:18:02 > 0:18:05after the loss had happened.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07So she was lying to us.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09'Unbeknown to the claimant,
0:18:09 > 0:18:14'hidden in the photo was information that proved they were lying.'
0:18:14 > 0:18:18'The secret data told the insurer the exact time and date
0:18:18 > 0:18:21'of when the photo was taken.'
0:18:21 > 0:18:24'and it was taken a full 17 days
0:18:24 > 0:18:27'after the watch was said to have been lost.'
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Most of our customers are genuine customers,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34but, on this occasion, this person got very greedy.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38'Greedy and, it seems, unwilling to let the matter lie.'
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Despite the evidence we presented,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45we were surprised to find that she then decided to refer the matter
0:18:45 > 0:18:47to the Financial Ombudsman,
0:18:47 > 0:18:52she wasn't happy to accept that she'd got caught committing a fraud.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56'But, unfortunately for the claimant,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00'the Ombudsman wasn't falling for it either.'
0:19:00 > 0:19:03All the details were sent to the Financial Ombudsman
0:19:03 > 0:19:08who upheld the decision that we had made to turn down her claim.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10'It would seem that, for fraudsters,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14'Rolex watches present an irresistible opportunity.'
0:19:14 > 0:19:18We see lots of claims for Rolex watches and most are genuine.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23But actually there have been more Rolex watches stolen
0:19:23 > 0:19:27and claimed for through insurance companies than have ever been made!
0:19:32 > 0:19:36'The Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department is raiding two properties
0:19:36 > 0:19:39'as part of an investigation into a suspected fraud
0:19:39 > 0:19:41'involving an insurance database.'
0:19:41 > 0:19:46'A gang is believed to be adding cars to the database,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49'which shows them as being insured when they are not.'
0:19:49 > 0:19:53'The aim of the raids is to arrest and question a group of suspects
0:19:53 > 0:19:56'and find evidence relating to the alleged motor-insurance fraud
0:19:56 > 0:19:58'and suspected money laundering.'
0:19:58 > 0:20:02'The IFED team has arrested the main suspects in the first house.'
0:20:02 > 0:20:07'Meanwhile, the raid on the second house is led by TI Alex Cooley.'
0:20:07 > 0:20:09'The residents are brought down
0:20:09 > 0:20:14'and Alex identifies the suspect he believes to be involved.'
0:20:14 > 0:20:16I'm arresting you for fraud.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19You don't have to say anything, but it may harm your defence
0:20:19 > 0:20:23if you fail to mention something which you later rely on in court.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Anything you do say may be used in evidence.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29'The IFED team needs to find documentary evidence
0:20:29 > 0:20:32'to support their investigation into fraud and money laundering.'
0:20:32 > 0:20:36'As they start the search for motor insurance and financial information,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40'Alex gets the suspect to show him where he stores his cash.'
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Yeah, just 1,000 cash.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51- How much is there?- £1,000.- OK.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59'Alex decides the suspect should be taken to the police station
0:20:59 > 0:21:02'for further questioning and he's led away.'
0:21:05 > 0:21:09'Back at the first house, the team led by DS Mark Forster
0:21:09 > 0:21:14'is searching for evidence to support the investigation.'
0:21:14 > 0:21:19We want mobile phones, computers, which I haven't seen many of.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Any data-storage devices -
0:21:22 > 0:21:26erm, USB-type sticks and stuff like that.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31And also documentation relating to any of the seven companies
0:21:31 > 0:21:34that the motor-trade policies have been taken out in.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38Any insurance documentation that relates to any of those policies
0:21:38 > 0:21:43or any other policies we think might have been incepted fraudulently.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Just found a certificate of motor insurance.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Looks like it has been photocopied rather than printed off.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58'A potentially crucial discovery is found inside the suspect's car.'
0:21:58 > 0:22:02In the doorway, you have got "new vehicle quotation" -
0:22:02 > 0:22:05basic price 91,
0:22:05 > 0:22:10118 all in, with all the modifications, all the extras.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17It looks like he's paid 10 grand in
0:22:17 > 0:22:22and then maybe another £2,000 as a finance agreement.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Very nice - "on order".
0:22:28 > 0:22:31'The documentation shows the suspect has on order
0:22:31 > 0:22:35'a £118,000 top-of-the-range new car.'
0:22:35 > 0:22:38'The potential expenditure is relevant to the investigation
0:22:38 > 0:22:42'because IFED has the power to look at suspects' spending patterns
0:22:42 > 0:22:45'and financial arrangements.'
0:22:45 > 0:22:48'Back inside, Mark is on the hunt
0:22:48 > 0:22:52'for information about the suspect's bank accounts.'
0:22:52 > 0:22:55They have been arrested for money laundering
0:22:55 > 0:22:58and we would like to start seeing where the money is going,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00what money they have got.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02If there is a large amount of money,
0:23:02 > 0:23:07our financial investigators can put a restraining order on that money.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10It is down to them to prove, basically,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14that that money has been obtained by legitimate means.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16'As well as the bank details,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20'Mark also identifies an insurance document that could be relevant.'
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Motor trade cover note.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Alliance is the insurance company.
0:23:26 > 0:23:33That was incepted or operational from the 23rd July this year.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38People into this fraud look at it as a safe way of making a lot of money.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42It was pretty much unheard of of people being arrested
0:23:42 > 0:23:44for this level of fraud
0:23:44 > 0:23:47against insurance companies - until now obviously.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51You do get the impression that they don't cover their tracks
0:23:51 > 0:23:53as well as other fraudsters may do.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57'Back at the second property, the search for evidence continues.'
0:23:57 > 0:24:01'It's vital for the investigation that they find documentation
0:24:01 > 0:24:03to support the case.'
0:24:03 > 0:24:07'Suddenly, Alex makes what could be a significant discovery.'
0:24:07 > 0:24:12A letter to do with some... collision.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Road-traffic collision.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Here we go. That's interesting, look.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19We've got a crib sheet. Excellent.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22We have got a map and a crib sheet here.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26I have heard of these, I've never actually found one myself.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29But... you will, occasionally, find a map
0:24:29 > 0:24:33and a... an explanation of what to say.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36So what I have here
0:24:36 > 0:24:42is a map showing two cars colliding with each other and an explanation -
0:24:42 > 0:24:44"I was driving out on the main road,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47"the third-party driver pulled out from "give way"
0:24:47 > 0:24:51"and hit me on the passenger side, middle and rear."
0:24:53 > 0:24:57'Alex and his team have bagged everything up and are about to leave
0:24:57 > 0:25:01'when one final key piece of evidence is identified.'
0:25:01 > 0:25:03This document is one of a series,
0:25:03 > 0:25:07which I found in a box on the suspect's wardrobe,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11which does concern the motor-trade policy
0:25:11 > 0:25:14with a company that we were interested in.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19So, so far, so good. We have found what we came here for.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29'At the first property, evidence gathering is also in full swing.'
0:25:33 > 0:25:37'Mark checks inside a safe he has found in one of the bedrooms.'
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Rings, chains.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47'This find could be significant,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51'as buying gold can be a way of laundering money.'
0:25:51 > 0:25:56I'm pleased, we have everything we could have hoped to have found.
0:25:56 > 0:26:02We have found two large amounts of cash in excess of £1,000,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04a large amount of gold.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08'The sizeable amount of evidence that IFED collects from the house
0:26:08 > 0:26:10'needs further investigation,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14'so they will be packing it up and taking it back to their HQ.'
0:26:14 > 0:26:16'As the raids draw to a close,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20'IFED has successfully tracked down and arrested all five suspects
0:26:20 > 0:26:24'and collected a significant amount of evidence.'
0:26:24 > 0:26:25The next stage is for IFED
0:26:25 > 0:26:29to put together a case using what's been found.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36The suspects remain on bail and the case is still under investigation.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41But the level of research and preparation into a case like this
0:26:41 > 0:26:45illustrates IFED's commitment to tackle insurance fraud.