0:00:03 > 0:00:06Insurance fraud in the UK is reaching epidemic levels,
0:00:06 > 0:00:10and it's costing us billions of pounds every year.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Deliberate crashes,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15bogus personal injury claims,
0:00:15 > 0:00:16even fake deaths.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23The fraudsters are risking more and more to make a quick killing.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27And every year it's adding up to £50 to your insurance bill.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Insurers are fighting back,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36armed with covert surveillance systems...
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Everything that we do has to remain cutting-edge.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42..sophisticated data-analysis techniques...
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Without having something like this, we would always be one step behind.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48..and a newly-formed, dedicated police unit...
0:00:48 > 0:00:52- Police! Get back!- ..they're catching the criminals red-handed.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58All those conmen, scammers, cheats on the fiddle...
0:00:58 > 0:01:00now they're caught in the act
0:01:00 > 0:01:03and claimed and shamed.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Today, the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department
0:01:12 > 0:01:16- busts into the house of a suspect. - All right, we've got a warrant.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19One claimer discovers that "no win, no fee"
0:01:19 > 0:01:20doesn't apply to fraud.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Somewhat surprisingly and shockingly,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26found that, no, she was not on that bus.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30And a supposedly injured fraudster's story falls apart.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32The most striking thing of the 12 days' footage is
0:01:32 > 0:01:34there was no wheelchair.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Being a fraudster is a full-time job,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44as one would-be conman found to his cost
0:01:44 > 0:01:48when he failed to keep up his deception whilst under surveillance.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55In 2006, lorry driver Graham Loveday
0:01:55 > 0:01:59was the victim of a minor road traffic incident.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02The details were passed to the driver's insurer.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07On the face of it, this was a straightforward low-speed collision,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10as CEO David Slater reveals.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Mr Loveday was driving along the road and he passed a petrol station,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18and as he passed the petrol station,
0:02:18 > 0:02:23our policy-holder pulled out and hit the rear wheel.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Mr Loveday initially went for a medical report,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and that report initially said he'd got a whiplash injury
0:02:29 > 0:02:30with some bruising,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33and that the whole injury would resolve itself
0:02:33 > 0:02:34inside five to eight months.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39So far, so simple. Graham stood to gain
0:02:39 > 0:02:42the standard amount of compensation for whiplash -
0:02:42 > 0:02:44around £2,500.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46But 12 months after the accident,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50things seemed to take a dramatic turn for the worse.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Then, subsequently, went for a second medical report about a year later.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59And, in fact, at that medical report, the doctor was unable to assess him
0:02:59 > 0:03:01because he said he was unable to get out of his wheelchair.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04It was an astonishing development.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Mr Loveday's condition had deteriorated to the point
0:03:07 > 0:03:10where he claimed he often required a wheelchair
0:03:10 > 0:03:14and even on good days had difficulty getting around.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18And he subsequently claimed that he was pretty much wheelchair-bound
0:03:18 > 0:03:22and obviously had constant pain all the time
0:03:22 > 0:03:25and was unable to do many of the basic tasks of everyday living
0:03:25 > 0:03:27and needed extensive care from his wife.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30It wasn't just physical injuries.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33He also said he was suffering psychologically.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Mr Loveday also claimed that he had a phobia of car travel.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40So he literally said that if he got into a car,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42that would immediately make him vomit.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46With such extensive injuries,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49the claim for treatment and care was mounting.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Our legal advice was that in this case,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54the cost to us would have been approximately £1 million.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58The insurer was becoming suspicious.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02I think the first thing that rang alarm bells to us with his claim
0:04:02 > 0:04:04was when we received that second medical report.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Certainly if someone has got an injury so severe
0:04:06 > 0:04:08that they're going to be wheelchair-bound,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11normally that would be apparent very early on.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13It just didn't add up.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15We had these two medical reports
0:04:15 > 0:04:18showing completely different injuries,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20so clearly we wanted to get to the truth
0:04:20 > 0:04:24of whether the injury really was anywhere as severe
0:04:24 > 0:04:26as he was now alleging.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28The insurer went straight to a group
0:04:28 > 0:04:32of specialist undercover investigators, led by Tim Young.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41Ultimately, our task is to gain an objective slice of their life,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43so it's simply a case of turning up
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and maximising the amount of footage that we can get,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49so that others within the legal process
0:04:49 > 0:04:53can form a good, objective opinion of someone's capabilities.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Their mission was to covertly film Graham Loveday
0:04:56 > 0:04:59to see if he was as injured as he claimed.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03The Graham Loveday case centred around the fact
0:05:03 > 0:05:05that we were dealing with an individual
0:05:05 > 0:05:10who was purportedly suffering from some form of physical disability.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13But not only that, there was psychological trauma as well.
0:05:16 > 0:05:22Around the area of his home address and the around the overall area,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26he was presenting himself as a male who was actually quite disabled.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29And walked in such a way
0:05:29 > 0:05:33as to suggest that he had a fairly significant disability.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36What they saw at first seemed to fit with his statements,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40but then they got a tip-off that changed everything.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44We'd been informed that he was likely to be going on holiday,
0:05:44 > 0:05:48so we placed him under surveillance over a given period of time.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53'The claimant is now getting inside the driver's seat...'
0:05:54 > 0:05:58The man who claimed to be sick when he was inside a car
0:05:58 > 0:06:02was observed driving for several hours to his holiday destination.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06He was found to travel from where he lived in South Wales
0:06:06 > 0:06:07all the way to the Isle of Wight.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12'Now we've a left indication, left indication.'
0:06:12 > 0:06:14So a significant journey
0:06:14 > 0:06:18for someone who is purportedly nervous of driving
0:06:18 > 0:06:21and incapable, I guess, of sitting for long periods of time as well.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23The surprises continued.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28Far from appearing tired or anxious after the lengthy journey,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32on arrival, he seemed rejuvenated and was walking freely.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36The contrast in his abilities and his overall demeanour
0:06:36 > 0:06:38was very significant.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40He was totally relaxed.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45As he unwinds in what he thinks is the safety of a secluded campsite,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49he starts to demonstrate signs of his true physical ability.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53I think one of the most interesting pieces of footage that we gained
0:06:53 > 0:06:54was him lifting a generator.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00'He's now lifting something heavy out...'
0:07:00 > 0:07:03And actually starting the petrol generator, so like a lawn mower,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06you know, starting the engine in that way.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09'Seems to be pulling at something,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12'i.e., a generator pull-cord to start.'
0:07:12 > 0:07:14On his return from holiday,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18he continues to perform a variety of strenuous physical activities.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22There were a number of other specific examples, so for example,
0:07:22 > 0:07:23he's seen servicing a car,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25which obviously involves a lot of bending over,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29which clearly you would not expect someone who is wheelchair-bound to be able to do.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31The length of the surveillance meant
0:07:31 > 0:07:34they hadn't just caught him on a good day.
0:07:34 > 0:07:35There was 12 days' footage in total
0:07:35 > 0:07:39and we'd obviously been told that Mr Loveday was wheelchair-bound.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42He needed a wheelchair if he travelled any distance at all.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44And the most striking thing of the 12 days' footage is
0:07:44 > 0:07:45there was no wheelchair.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50It was very clear to us in this case
0:07:50 > 0:07:52that Mr Loveday was grossly exaggerating
0:07:52 > 0:07:53the extent of his injuries.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57It was really rather difficult not to be absolutely certain
0:07:57 > 0:08:01that this was a fairly audacious attempt at a major fraud.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03They had all the evidence they needed.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07The next step was to bring Graham Loveday to justice.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09This case ended up in court.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12We felt it was really important to make it clear
0:08:12 > 0:08:16that Saga Insurance is not going to tolerate frauds of this type.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Judge found Mr Loveday guilty.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Mr Loveday was sentenced to nine months in prison.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Yeah, I think Mr Loveday's motivation
0:08:26 > 0:08:29was undoubtedly a greed to try and get some more money.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33We certainly foiled him in this case, yes.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40A pair of claimers are shamed on camera.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Our expert didn't accept that there was any possibility whatsoever
0:08:43 > 0:08:45that they'd been injured.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51In the fight against the growing problem of insurance fraud,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53an elite squad have come together to form IFED,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Insurance fraud isn't a victimless crime.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05£50 of each premium you pay each year goes to the fraudsters.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07We have been set up to tackle that problem.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11This dedicated team works tirelessly to bang up the crooks and conmen
0:09:11 > 0:09:13getting rich off other people's money.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16Police! Get back!
0:09:16 > 0:09:20It is our intention to create a climate of fear for the fraudster.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23There's every chance an IFED detective may come knocking
0:09:23 > 0:09:26to arrest them for committing an insurance fraud.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29Police! Don't move! Stay where you are!
0:09:29 > 0:09:33By April 2012, after only six months of operating,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35they had already busted 80 fraudsters,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39adding up to £12 million of fraud under investigation.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45These people are criminals. These are nasty people.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48They don't go out to work on a Monday morning like most people do.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Their work is submitting insurance fraud claims.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02Today the IFED team, led by DS Mark Forster, has come to raid the home
0:10:02 > 0:10:06of a suspect wanted for questioning about car insurance fraud.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16This particular individual accepted numerous motor insurance policies.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19We think some are in the region - just this one company -
0:10:19 > 0:10:23in the region of 60 or 70 motor insurance policies.
0:10:23 > 0:10:29The insurer puts the loss at somewhere in the region of £50,000.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33The large number of motor insurance policies belonging to the suspect
0:10:33 > 0:10:37has led IFED to believe this indicates fraudulent activity.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39They want to arrest the suspect
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and question him in detail about what's going on.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47They're not expecting the inhabitants of the house to be co-operative
0:10:47 > 0:10:50and are ready to break their way in if needed.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53Open up, it's the police!
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Open the door in three seconds.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Police, get back! Police!
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Stay where you are!
0:11:04 > 0:11:07We've got a warrant. Do you want to get yourself up, darling?
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Are you decent at the moment under there?
0:11:10 > 0:11:14The first person they find is the mother of the suspect.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16She's lying in bed, she's just getting up now.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18We're speaking to her to try and find out where her son is.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20We'll crack on with the search now.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25We've got a warrant to execute a search at this premises
0:11:25 > 0:11:28and that's been authorised by the City of London Magistrates Court.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32It's in relation to fraud-related offences concerning your son.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35He lives... I kicked him out, actually.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38- Do you know the address where he's staying?- No, I don't.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Do you have a contact number for him? That would be a good starter for 10.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44While Mark questions the suspect's mother in the lounge,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46the team start searching the rest of the house.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49The hunt is on for documentary evidence linking the suspect
0:11:49 > 0:11:53to the fraud, so the case stands up in court.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Unconvinced that the suspect has actually moved out,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59they focus on an upstairs room that might be his bedroom.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01But the first thing they find
0:12:01 > 0:12:04could be proof of an altogether different sort of crime -
0:12:04 > 0:12:05illegal drugs.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Cannabis in which bedroom?
0:12:08 > 0:12:09There's two bags there.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12These are all empty bags,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15with bits and remnants in.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18There's an amount of cannabis upstairs in that bedroom
0:12:18 > 0:12:21and there's a small amount down here as well.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23So we're still going to be seizing that
0:12:23 > 0:12:28and speaking to them more about ownership and possession of that.
0:12:28 > 0:12:29The search continues.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32The next thing they discover is a hidden safe,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34concealed behind a fireplace.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Did you last access this safe?
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Erm...
0:12:38 > 0:12:39Whose safe is it?
0:12:39 > 0:12:42The key's been left in the door,
0:12:42 > 0:12:43so it's a simple job to open it up.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Could this be where the evidence they need is stashed?
0:12:50 > 0:12:51I'm arresting you
0:12:51 > 0:12:56on suspicion of possessing a controlled drug, cannabis.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Some chancers take advantage of genuine collisions
0:13:02 > 0:13:04to cheat their way to money they don't deserve.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08But insurers and transport companies are fighting back
0:13:08 > 0:13:11using every hi tech tool at their disposal.
0:13:11 > 0:13:12CCTV is one of them.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17From time to time, buses are involved in minor incidents.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Huyton bus station was the scene of one such incident.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Valda Grant handled the case.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25It was a number 15 bus
0:13:25 > 0:13:29travelling into Huyton bus station in the Northwest.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32The bus was going slowly into the bus station
0:13:32 > 0:13:34and there were some railings on his left-hand side
0:13:34 > 0:13:36and he caught the railings with the bus
0:13:36 > 0:13:39as he was pulling into the bus station.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Not long after, the bus company heard from two of the passengers
0:13:45 > 0:13:48who had been on board at the time.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53These were two 17-year-old passengers on the bus
0:13:53 > 0:13:55and they both claimed they'd got whiplash injuries,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59two with whiplash injury, one said she just had shoulder injury,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01because she banged her shoulder against the window.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05This was an unexpected outcome
0:14:05 > 0:14:08which didn't tally with the slow speed of the impact.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12The bus company wasted no time in checking the on-board CCTV
0:14:12 > 0:14:15to see if the footage supported the claims.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18The women can clearly be seen on the bus,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22but at no point do they seem to sustain any injury from a collision.
0:14:22 > 0:14:23In fact, the incident is so low-impact
0:14:23 > 0:14:26the passengers aren't even seen moving.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30When the women leave the bus, they even appear to be smiling.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33When we got our own medical expert, we sent him the CCTV,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35plus the claimants' witness statements
0:14:35 > 0:14:37where they explain what happened in the accident
0:14:37 > 0:14:40and how they were injured. Our expert didn't accept
0:14:40 > 0:14:43that there was any possibility whatsoever that they'd been injured.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46The civil claim proceeded to court
0:14:46 > 0:14:49and the bus company used the footage to make their case.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Luckily, justice prevailed.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56The court dismissed the claim and the claimants didn't receive any damages.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Without CCTV cameras, it could have been a very different result
0:15:00 > 0:15:04and the two women might have got away with their false claim.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07It is a sad state of affairs that you need the CCTV,
0:15:07 > 0:15:09but it would be sadder if we didn't have them,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12because we would not be able to fight these claims.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16When it comes to trying their luck with bus companies,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19some claimers are even more shameless than the previous pair.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22At least they were on the bus in question.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24The next story concerns a would-be fraudster
0:15:24 > 0:15:28who attempted to claim for injuries she couldn't possibly have suffered.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Jonathan Crookes, the manager of Transcare Law,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36works for the bus company involved and investigated the case.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41Anneesa Naser was in Queen Street Bus Station in Liverpool.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45It's a busy station
0:15:45 > 0:15:49and one of the buses was hit at low speed by another bus.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Not long afterwards, the company was contacted by Anneesa Naser.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58When she presented a claim for personal injury
0:15:58 > 0:16:02on the basis that she had been an occupant of the bus when it was hit.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07She claimed that she was jolted
0:16:07 > 0:16:10and that she suffered whiplash-type injuries to her neck.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16The case was passed on to one of the bus company's own claims handlers.
0:16:16 > 0:16:22Our claims handler will have checked the CCTV footage
0:16:22 > 0:16:24from inside of the bus
0:16:24 > 0:16:29to make sure that Anneesa Naser was indeed on the bus when it was hit.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34What they saw blew her claim out of the water.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Somewhat surprisingly and shockingly,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39found that, no, she was not on that bus.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42In fact, the camera showed her standing in the bus station
0:16:42 > 0:16:44watching what was happening.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Watching what was happening,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49and clearly coming up with a scheme to scam money from the bus company.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53The pictures show her stood outside the bus, watching the impact,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55and then getting on the bus that was hit
0:16:55 > 0:16:57after the collision had happened.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59The CCTV pictures were more than enough evidence
0:16:59 > 0:17:02for the bus company to reject her claim.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05But they didn't stop there.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Also what she didn't realise
0:17:07 > 0:17:10was that she wasn't in a no-lose situation,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13because once we rejected her claim for compensation,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16we were determined not to let matters lie there
0:17:16 > 0:17:21and that we would try and, as a deterrence for other people,
0:17:21 > 0:17:22take her to court.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27It was impossible to argue with the evidence from the CCTV camera
0:17:27 > 0:17:30and Anneesa Naser was found guilty.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33The sentence for Miss Naser
0:17:33 > 0:17:36was a four-month suspended prison sentence,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38180 hours' community service
0:17:38 > 0:17:43and she had to pay the prosecution legal costs as well.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46But perhaps she's paid an even greater cost
0:17:46 > 0:17:48than the sentence itself.
0:17:48 > 0:17:49She's got a criminal record now,
0:17:49 > 0:17:54a lot of doors are now shut to her in terms of future employment,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58cases for mortgages etc, etc.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00People just seem to think
0:18:00 > 0:18:05that they can take an opportunistic pop at people like us
0:18:05 > 0:18:08and they live to regret it.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17Technology is a key weapon in the fight against insurance fraud.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18Our next would-be swindler
0:18:18 > 0:18:21was caught out when she failed to cover her tracks
0:18:21 > 0:18:24and left an electronic footprint leading to her downfall.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30In 2011, Jodie Jackman was one of the drivers
0:18:30 > 0:18:32in a serious car accident.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35It involved two motors and a total of seven people,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39including the other driver, Katie Ashcroft.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Jodie reported the accident to her insurer and accepted liability.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47Claire Laver is a lawyer who worked on the case for the insurer.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Seven claims for personal injury
0:18:51 > 0:18:53and other vehicle-related losses were made.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58The third-party driver received a sum of money for damage to her vehicle,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01as did the policyholder,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and in total that was around about £11,000.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07This pay-out covered the damage to both cars
0:19:07 > 0:19:10and the personal injury claims for all seven people involved.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13That appeared to be that.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Until, due to an unrelated matter,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Jodie was suspended from her admin job,
0:19:17 > 0:19:21a routine trawl through her work e-mail account by her employers
0:19:21 > 0:19:24revealed a surprising e-mail exchange.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25Where they had suggested
0:19:25 > 0:19:28getting involved in fabricating an accident
0:19:28 > 0:19:30and making a fraudulent claim.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Swiftcover's chief claims officer Robin Reames
0:19:33 > 0:19:36was passed the full details of the incriminating exchange.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39One e-mail from Katie to Jodie reads...
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Jodie replies...
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Katie reassures her...
0:19:54 > 0:19:56It was very clear from the e-mails
0:19:56 > 0:20:01that this was a deliberate attempt to defraud an insurer
0:20:01 > 0:20:04by creating an accident that didn't take place
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and for seven people to make personal injury claims
0:20:07 > 0:20:09that they didn't suffer.
0:20:10 > 0:20:11Further digging revealed
0:20:11 > 0:20:15the motive behind the fraudulent claim was financial.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19The two girls were undergoing some financial strain at the time.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22One of them had a loan with a loan shark
0:20:22 > 0:20:25and another one had some £5,000 worth of debt.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31They were desperately in need of the £11,000 pay-out from the insurer.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34It turned out they had maximised their money
0:20:34 > 0:20:37by persuading five other people to pretend they were passengers
0:20:37 > 0:20:39and put in fake injury claims.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41All seven were taken to court.
0:20:41 > 0:20:42The result of the court case
0:20:42 > 0:20:46was that seven pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud
0:20:46 > 0:20:51and of those, three received a 12-week custodial sentence,
0:20:51 > 0:20:52suspended for one year,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56and the other four received a six-month community order.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02This seemed to be an opportunity for them to make some quick cash.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04The result is, it didn't work out that way.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06They got caught, they lost their jobs,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08they have a criminal record
0:21:08 > 0:21:12and it sends a very clear message to fraudsters out there
0:21:12 > 0:21:13that we will find them
0:21:13 > 0:21:18and we will do all we can to protect innocent law-abiding policyholders.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20But the story didn't end there.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23The insurance company decided to pursue the women
0:21:23 > 0:21:25for the money they cheated out of them.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27They will have to pay back
0:21:27 > 0:21:31the £11,000 that was paid them by Swiftcover in the end anyway.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35So, it was a completely pointless exercise
0:21:35 > 0:21:39which has left them much worse off than they'd intended.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47The Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, IFED,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49has come to arrest a suspect
0:21:49 > 0:21:52they believe is involved in car insurance fraud.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54He's nowhere to be seen.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55But they've chanced upon a hidden safe,
0:21:55 > 0:22:00which they're hoping will contain some of the evidence they need to make the case stand up.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Did you last access this safe?
0:22:02 > 0:22:04As they go through the contents,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07they find an array of chequebooks and documents
0:22:07 > 0:22:09which they bag up for further investigation.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13This is a security measure
0:22:13 > 0:22:16to make sure that, should they be subject to a burglary,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18that nobody gets all their banking details.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22All their chequebooks, credit cards, passports, etc.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Quite ironic, really!
0:22:25 > 0:22:27But there's still no sign of the suspect.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31IFED persuaded the mother to hand over a contact number for her son,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33but they've had no luck with that either.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37It's going straight to voice mail. We've left a number of voicemails
0:22:37 > 0:22:42asking him to get in touch with us, to basically get himself here.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Their persistence pays off and he eventually rings back.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47Where are you?
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Sheffield? What are you doing up there?
0:22:49 > 0:22:53What vehicle are you driving, how are you going to get here?
0:22:53 > 0:22:55IFED has done their homework on the suspect.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57When they eventually make contact,
0:22:57 > 0:23:03they deliberately reveal some of the information they have, so he knows they're onto him.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05I know which vehicles that you've got access to,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08I just want to know which vehicle you're going to come in.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Meanwhile, the family guard dog seems to be having an off-day.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14So you're going to be here in an hour?
0:23:14 > 0:23:17I'm trusting you now to turn up here within the hour.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Lovely, see you then.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24Usually we find that that's enough to draw them back to home,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27as it were, especially when his mum's here on her own.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Although the suspect has promised to return home,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34there's still no sign of him after 45 minutes.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37The IFED team is starting to lose patience.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41Suddenly, another call comes in, but it's not from the suspect.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43It's from a man who says he's his lawyer.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47I'm going to put the phone down in a minute, sir.
0:23:47 > 0:23:48The lawyer explains that
0:23:48 > 0:23:51the suspect won't be coming to the house as promised.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54The IFED team think they smell a rat.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59If he's a professional solicitor... He's laughing down the phone to me!
0:23:59 > 0:24:02That's a nice distraction for us. Where were we?
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Their search is turning up an ever-increasing quantity of drugs.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07While we're sitting here,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09there's quite a strong waft of cannabis
0:24:09 > 0:24:14coming from just behind where my colleague is sat.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19So that's the third and fourth small quantity of cannabis
0:24:19 > 0:24:21we've found in the house.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23In three or four different rooms.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29With drugs uncovered in several locations around the property,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32it's important IFED investigates the illegal substances thoroughly.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35The mother is the only person in the house.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Mark takes a decision to arrest her in connection with the drugs.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42She's the only one on the premises and there's drugs all over it. So she can come in.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45I'm arresting you
0:24:45 > 0:24:48on suspicion of possessing a controlled drug, cannabis,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52- and on suspicion of conspiring to defraud.- What, tiny amounts?
0:24:52 > 0:24:56- The cannabis that's been found in this house.- Right, a joint?
0:24:56 > 0:25:00- There's been cannabis found in this house.- Yeah, a joint?
0:25:00 > 0:25:02It's an offence.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Just then, the suspect calls again.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Is that you?
0:25:06 > 0:25:10I've had a few phone calls from... Mohammed.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14He tells me you want to turn up at the police station and not come here.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17You've got 15 minutes to get here, so you've run out of time.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18They're arresting me!
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Why am I arresting her?
0:25:20 > 0:25:23For cannabis possession and conspiracy to defraud.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Your timing couldn't be more impeccable.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28She's been arrested and she's going to (BLEEP) police station.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Are you coming to the home or to (BLEEP) police station?
0:25:31 > 0:25:35There's scales, there's grinders used for grinding down cannabis resin, and bits and pieces.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39Scales for weighing the drugs out.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Suddenly, there's a commotion at the door as someone tries to enter.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45All right, mate. Hang on. Who's that?
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Come on, fella.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51It's her son, but unfortunately not the son IFED is after.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55What can I do, I've just woke up!
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Get that out of here.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Although they didn't get their hands on the suspect,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06IFED has found significant amounts of potential evidence
0:26:06 > 0:26:09to help with their case. It's been a successful raid,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Mark is confident they will eventually get their man.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14He is a very well-known person
0:26:14 > 0:26:16and he will come sooner or later to our attention,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18or to the police's attention.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20He'll get arrested sooner rather than later
0:26:20 > 0:26:22if he fails to give himself up today.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25So, we will catch up with him eventually.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27It would have been nice to have got him today,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30but, like I say, we've secured all the evidence from the house
0:26:30 > 0:26:33so we're not going to lose anything in relation to our investigation.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38The IFED team are a patient bunch and they eventually got their man.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42He was arrested and charged with four counts of fraud by false representation,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44and possession of the Class B drugs.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50He was given a 15 month jail term, suspended for two years,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53and a 12 month supervision order.