0:00:03 > 0:00:07Insurance fraud in the UK is reaching epidemic levels
0:00:07 > 0:00:09and it's costing us billions of pounds every year.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11MAN: Whoo!
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Deliberate crashes, bogus personal injury claims,
0:00:14 > 0:00:16even phantom pets.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22The 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.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Insurers are fighting back.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Armed with covert surveillance systems...
0:00:35 > 0:00:37The subject is out the vehicle.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40..sophisticated data analysis techniques...
0:00:41 > 0:00:45..and highly skilled dedicated police units...
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Police! Don't move. Stay where you are.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49..they're catching the criminals red-handed.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53All those con men, scammers and cheats on the fiddle,
0:00:53 > 0:00:57now they're caught in the act and claimed and shamed.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08It's man versus the food aisle
0:01:08 > 0:01:11as a trip leads to a huge personal injury claim.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14There is a more sinister underlying background to this.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16A specialist fraud-busting force are on the hunt
0:01:16 > 0:01:21for two men suspected of defrauding a charity.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23This particular case is quite unpleasant.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27And a 13-tonne fire truck is blamed for wrecking a car.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Personally, I think it's a disgrace. It's sickening.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Supermarket shopping - you know what it's like.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42So many choices. Mayonnaise... No, bread. Where are the peaches?
0:01:42 > 0:01:43Ah, half-price toothpaste!
0:01:43 > 0:01:45But watch your step.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Before you know it, you've tripped over the debris left on the floor by a careless shelf stacker.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57This is a supermarket in Northern Ireland.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59The man on the floor, Daniel Braniff, looks to be
0:01:59 > 0:02:01in a lot of pain.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04That's because he's just taken a hard fall in this food aisle.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08The culprit - some of this.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12The allegation was that he fell over some plastic banding in the shop.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16What had started out as a trip to the supermarket
0:02:16 > 0:02:18was now going to end up as a visit to A&E.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22He went to the hospital
0:02:22 > 0:02:25and sought treatment for this soft tissue injury
0:02:25 > 0:02:27to his left side.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30With an injury that could potentially hinder him for months,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Daniel Braniff decided to make a claim against the supermarket.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Mr Braniff brought the claim to our attention
0:02:37 > 0:02:40the day after the alleged incident.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Slipping in a supermarket is not uncommon
0:02:44 > 0:02:47and it's why supermarkets pay a lot of attention
0:02:47 > 0:02:51to ensuring that their aisles are clean and clear.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54It seemed the supermarket Braniff had been shopping in
0:02:54 > 0:02:57hadn't been so diligent with its tidiness.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00It was looking like a potentially costly mistake.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Daniel Braniff submitted a £12,000 injury claim against it
0:03:05 > 0:03:09and he had a piece of physical evidence to support his claim
0:03:09 > 0:03:11in the form of the plastic strap
0:03:11 > 0:03:13which he'd scooped up after the accident.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Solid evidence or not, the claim would have to be thoroughly checked.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21The expert handlers at the insurance company dealing with the case
0:03:21 > 0:03:23set about their work.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Very soon, alarm bells were ringing.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31The insurance company felt that this claim needed a closer look.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37They requested to see the CCTV footage from the supermarket
0:03:37 > 0:03:40at the time of the incident.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44In the footage, you'll see Mr Braniff talking on his mobile phone
0:03:44 > 0:03:47and walking around the store.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49All fairly innocuous.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51But when Daniel Braniff finishes his phone call,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53his actions take a bizarre twist.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00When we first saw the video containing Mr Braniff's accident,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03frankly, we couldn't believe that he had the effrontery
0:04:03 > 0:04:06to make a claim for this.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09That's because the footage does not reveal
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Daniel Braniff innocently walking into the plastic hazard in front of him,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14as his claim would have you believe.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Instead, it shows this -
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Braniff, fully aware of the plastic strapping on the floor,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24executing an extremely unconvincing trip.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30There's no sophistication to this attempted fraud at all.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33It is really quite comical.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36The whole farce begins 40 seconds before the trip.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42The CCTV footage shows Braniff exiting the aisle,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44at which point he treads on the packaging.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Instantly he puts his devious plan into action.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52It's quite clear that in the video,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54he carefully tries to manoeuvre
0:04:54 > 0:04:56a piece of plastic banding around his foot,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00and when he's quite comfortable that nobody is looking,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02he then falls over.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04We immediately decided not to pay this claim
0:05:04 > 0:05:10and took Mr Braniff to the Police Service of Northern Ireland,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14where we alleged that he had attempted to defraud us
0:05:14 > 0:05:17and, ultimately, the supermarket.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Appearing in court, Daniel Braniff pleaded guilty
0:05:19 > 0:05:23and was sentenced to four months in custody suspended for three years
0:05:23 > 0:05:25and fined £250.
0:05:25 > 0:05:31When we saw the footage, it was one of those that drew people around to look at it.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36But there is a more sinister, underlying background to this
0:05:36 > 0:05:40because ultimately, this person is making
0:05:40 > 0:05:44a substantial claim for damages against the supermarket
0:05:44 > 0:05:46and, ultimately, the insurer,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49and it is clear, out and out fraud.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Any wannabe fraudsters should tread very carefully.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57In the next few months, a register of convicted fraudsters is being rolled out.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Accessible to every major insurance company in Britain,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05anyone on the list might find it a lot harder to get cheap insurance.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11People should think again before they get tempted to do this
0:06:11 > 0:06:15because the consequences are, they will get prosecuted
0:06:15 > 0:06:18and their name will be put on the insurance fraud register,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20which will impact them in the future.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Insurance fraud is on the rise
0:06:26 > 0:06:29and if you have insurance of any kind, you're footing the bill.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32But the fraudsters had better watch their backs.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36IFED is a 35-strong unit
0:06:36 > 0:06:40that works tirelessly to hunt down and prosecute insurance fraudsters,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43wherever they might be throughout England and Wales.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Through a combination of investigation, industry connections
0:06:46 > 0:06:48and the element of surprise...
0:06:49 > 0:06:52they've made over 300 arrests
0:06:52 > 0:06:54and stopped millions of pounds from going to the criminals,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57money which ultimately goes back in our pockets.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03It's highly likely now, if you commit any insurance fraud,
0:07:03 > 0:07:04you will get caught.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15It's 6am and two IFED teams are on the road.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17The two teams are 90 miles apart
0:07:17 > 0:07:21but both heading to raid locations linked to a single bank account.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Head of IFED, DCI David Wood, is attending the operation.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31We're on our way to our suspect's address
0:07:31 > 0:07:33and there's another car with two officers
0:07:33 > 0:07:34that are going to meet us nearby.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37This particular case is quite unpleasant
0:07:37 > 0:07:41because the victims are actually a children's charity.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45The charity has had its bank account details stolen.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50Whoever stole them is now using the account to purchase motor vehicle insurance.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Despite living in different cities,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55the two men being targeted by IFED today
0:07:55 > 0:07:59are both suspected of using the same charity bank account details.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04It's particularly unpleasant. However, we must remain professional.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09DCI Wood's team arrive at the raid location at 6:15.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14We're never exactly sure who's going to be there when we get there
0:08:14 > 0:08:18but this guy should be there with his family
0:08:18 > 0:08:20but we don't know, so we've got to be on our toes.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Let's see who's here.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33That's the IFED knock on the door.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Hi. We're from the City of London Police.
0:08:44 > 0:08:45OK, I'm looking...
0:08:45 > 0:08:48The man who has opened the door is not the suspect.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- OK.- And I believe that he resides here.- Yes.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Is he around at home?
0:08:53 > 0:08:56DCI Woods' suspicions are confirmed.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58The suspect does live at the property
0:08:58 > 0:09:01but, despite it being 6:20am, he's not in.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07We made contact with him via telephone
0:09:07 > 0:09:10and it's hoped that we're going to meet him very shortly.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13He won't give us his current location.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15However, we're keen to speak to him
0:09:15 > 0:09:17and we're hoping that he's going to be with us -
0:09:17 > 0:09:20it's now 25 past six - by eight o'clock.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23We'll be speaking to him, fingers crossed.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25But now we're in his hands a little bit
0:09:25 > 0:09:28because we don't know exactly where he is.
0:09:33 > 0:09:3890 miles away, the other IFED team is closing in on its raid address.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43We're all travelling now in convoy to the address
0:09:43 > 0:09:46where we hope to find our suspect.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53We're just going to be knocking on the address here...
0:09:53 > 0:09:56KNOCKING ..where we expect the suspect to be.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04The suspect in this address is also under investigation
0:10:04 > 0:10:08for purchasing insurance using the same stolen details
0:10:08 > 0:10:10of the same charity bank account.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Just to make sure nobody else is here.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17The team are just checking upstairs to see if anybody else is upstairs
0:10:17 > 0:10:19and to see if our suspect's here.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44What we're here for today is a enquiry in relation to an insurance policy
0:10:44 > 0:10:47which was taken out with fraudulent bank details.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50We don't believe that the person who took that policy out,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- the car was registered to you, it was your vehicle...- Yeah.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58..taken out over the internet, but that person didn't have permission to use the bank details
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- to take out that policy, OK?- Yeah.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02I believe that you're responsible for that
0:11:02 > 0:11:05and as such, I'm arresting you for Fraud by false representation.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07You do not have to say anything
0:11:07 > 0:11:09but it may harm your defence if you do not mention under questioning
0:11:09 > 0:11:12something which you later rely on in court.
0:11:12 > 0:11:13Anything you do say may be given in evidence.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20IFED is closing in on its target.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30The man on the left is very angry and with good reason.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33He's just had a very frightening experience.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37He was in the passenger seat of the black car
0:11:37 > 0:11:39when a fire engine smashed into it.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42He claimed that we hit his vehicle with sufficient force
0:11:42 > 0:11:44to actually lift it up off the ground,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47push it towards the pumps on the station forecourt
0:11:47 > 0:11:50and as a result of that heavy collision,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52caused him whiplash injuries.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58A fire engine is not the kind of vehicle you want to tangle with.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02The average fire engine is 7m long, 2.5m wide
0:12:02 > 0:12:05and weighs in at a hefty 13 tonnes.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08It's easy to understand how a behemoth like this
0:12:08 > 0:12:11could wreck a car and damage a neck in one swipe.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Immediately after the crash, two men came over to our vehicle.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Our driver and the officer in charge of the vehicle have got out,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22had a word with them, had a look at the damage to their vehicle
0:12:22 > 0:12:24and the minor damage to our vehicle,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26exchanged all their insurance details
0:12:26 > 0:12:30and then we basically got back on the fire engine and left the scene.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33The claimant's whiplash wasn't going away
0:12:33 > 0:12:35and there were further complications to come.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39He claimed injury to his neck, his shoulders,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42which were quite severe for the first two months.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44They lasted seven months in total.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46He also claimed he'd suffered psychiatric injury
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and had flashbacks for three to four weeks
0:12:49 > 0:12:52and he was anxious driving his vehicle for a total period of four months.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57The severely inconvenienced crash victim decided to make a claim
0:12:57 > 0:12:59against the Greater Manchester fire brigade.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03That claim was valued at about £10,000,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07taking into account his damages, his own solicitor's costs
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and the cost to the Greater Manchester Fire Service.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15It was an annoying situation for the Greater Manchester Fire Brigade.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20Because it self-insures, the £10,000 was going to have to come out of its own pocket.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26This isn't something whereby the insurers are being affected by it.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29It's actually the public organisation that's being affected by it
0:13:29 > 0:13:33and any kind of money that goes out of the organisation without good cause
0:13:33 > 0:13:36will have an impact, ultimately, on front-line services.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Before the £10,000 could be paid out,
0:13:39 > 0:13:43as standard, the Greater Manchester Fire Service needed to check
0:13:43 > 0:13:46their own incident report against the claim.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49There were so many inconsistencies with the claim
0:13:49 > 0:13:51which caused us to look at it in detail.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55The fire engine suffered minor cosmetic damage to the handle of the locker
0:13:55 > 0:13:57and the front indicator.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00The fire-fighters hardly noticed the incident at all.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03They only became aware of it when they heard a car horn.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07Suddenly, the brakes were put on the claim.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10The fire crew's version of events were in stark contrast
0:14:10 > 0:14:15to the claimant's description of being in a car that was thrown in the air.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19The fire brigade, wanting to know more, decided to roll out some technology.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26The cameras that are on board, there is one pointing in every direction.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28There's one in the front cab, there's one on either side
0:14:28 > 0:14:31and then there's one at roof level on the rear of the vehicle.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35Luckily, one of the cameras had a clear view of the garage forecourt.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38Everyone was about to find out
0:14:38 > 0:14:41what happened on the day of the collision.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44The garage forecourt was quite busy on that night.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47There was also a car wash that wasn't that far away
0:14:47 > 0:14:51from where the actual vehicle, our vehicle and their vehicle, was parked.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55So then when our fire engine came to drive away from the pumps,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57it was a really tight turn.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59And here is the video footage.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Just as the claimant reported,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05the fire engine rams into the front of the parked car,
0:15:05 > 0:15:10sending it and its occupant flying towards one of the petrol pumps.
0:15:10 > 0:15:11Hang on - did I just miss that?
0:15:14 > 0:15:17No. The car doesn't move at all.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22The CCTV footage showed the fire engine moving off very slowly,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25turning across the front of the claimant's vehicle
0:15:25 > 0:15:28and it shows the touching of the vehicles.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30You can see from the CCTV footage
0:15:30 > 0:15:34that the vehicle moves hardly, if at all.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36The collision wasn't dangerous in any way.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41From the CCTV footage, this was a really low-speed, minor collision
0:15:41 > 0:15:44and the estimate is that we were doing less than 5mph.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Flying cars, whiplash and psychological damage -
0:15:47 > 0:15:49all a lie.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51The whole claim from the car passenger was
0:15:51 > 0:15:53an opportunistic attempt at fraud.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58The outcome of this case was, once we disclosed the CCTV footage,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01the claimant realised the game was over
0:16:01 > 0:16:04and he quickly discontinued the claim
0:16:04 > 0:16:06before he got into more serious trouble.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Unfortunately, he had to repay nearly £6,000 of legal costs
0:16:10 > 0:16:12to the defendant.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14He put himself at risk of a criminal prosecution
0:16:14 > 0:16:17and he was reported in the local newspaper,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19the Manchester Evening News.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Personally, I think it's a disgrace. It's sickening.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26These people put their lives at risk every hour of the day,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29protecting us, our families, our children, our property
0:16:29 > 0:16:32and this how they're repaid by some sectors of society.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34It's disgraceful. Unbelievable.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38I'd say to anybody who's thinking about making any kind of claim like this,
0:16:38 > 0:16:39don't do it.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41We will investigate every claim that is made
0:16:41 > 0:16:44and certainly, every one of our vehicles has CCTV cameras
0:16:44 > 0:16:46which point in every direction,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49so we will find out that it's a fraudulent claim.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59On Britain's busy roads, there are thousands of collisions every day.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04If you're involved in one,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07you might want some professional help processing your claim.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Who do you turn to?
0:17:10 > 0:17:12If you've had a non-fault claim
0:17:12 > 0:17:14you might go to a claims management company after the accident
0:17:14 > 0:17:18for them to help you pursue your claim against the insurance company.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22A claims management company will help you with the complex process
0:17:22 > 0:17:25of paperwork, medical examinations, vehicle repair
0:17:25 > 0:17:27and temporary vehicle hire.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33They sound like the white knights of the road,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35there when you really need them.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38That might be true of most of them but it turns out,
0:17:38 > 0:17:43a growing number of claims management companies are committing insurance fraud.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Fraudulent claims management companies use
0:17:48 > 0:17:51a variety of different techniques to commit fraud
0:17:51 > 0:17:53and one of their methods is very dangerous -
0:17:53 > 0:17:55the induced accident.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01So this is where a gang of criminals will take a vehicle
0:18:01 > 0:18:04out onto a public road, they'll pay somebody to drive that car
0:18:04 > 0:18:06and induce accidents.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10They're effectively paying drivers to cause accidents on public roads.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14After tricking an innocent person into crashing into one of their paid drivers,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18the fraudulent claims management company will then deal with the claim
0:18:18 > 0:18:20that results from the induced collision.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23It's a big earner for the fraudsters.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Crash for cash scams cost the industry nearly £400 million a year.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32That equates to a lot of money to all of us on our premiums.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37One claims management company, Kami Claims,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39operating out of north London,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41was a big fan of the induced accident.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46And if you were a responsible car owner with insurance,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50you were a potential crash target for the crooked Kami Claims.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56In order for the frauds that Kami Claims were committing to succeed,
0:18:56 > 0:19:01they required innocent members of the public to be the victims of their scams,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03so they were looking for people that were insured,
0:19:03 > 0:19:05people that were on the school run,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09people that were innocent members of the public, had paid their premium,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11so they could then make a fraudulent claim on their policies.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14They had been getting away with it for years,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18generating millions of pounds' worth of fraudulent claims in the process.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Things were looking good for the north London business
0:19:21 > 0:19:24but it wasn't going to last.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Ten miles across town in west London,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32a powerful enemy had clocked the fraudulent claims management company
0:19:32 > 0:19:34and was closing in.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39In the summer of 2012, DI Hindmarsh and his unit
0:19:39 > 0:19:43were in the final stages of an investigation into Kami Claims.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48We received information that a particular claims management company
0:19:48 > 0:19:51operating out of north London
0:19:51 > 0:19:56were involved in setting up induced collisions
0:19:56 > 0:19:57and then dealing with the claims
0:19:57 > 0:20:00and, obviously, reaping the rewards of the financial benefit.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Strengthening their position, the Met Traffic Unit has many allies
0:20:06 > 0:20:07in the world of insurance.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11One of them is the Insurance Fraud Bureau.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13It has access to information
0:20:13 > 0:20:15about nearly every insurance policy in the country.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19That amount of information gives you a serious advantage
0:20:19 > 0:20:21when tackling fraudsters.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28A key part of the role of the IFB is to find the trends and patterns
0:20:28 > 0:20:31that are invisible to other parts of the industry.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34And very quickly, a pattern emerged.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36And when we started to look at
0:20:36 > 0:20:38the claims that were connected to Kami Claims,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41there were a suspicious number of similarities
0:20:41 > 0:20:43between all the accidents
0:20:43 > 0:20:45and if you had a genuine claims management company,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49you'd expect them to deal with a variety of different types of claims.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53The Met Traffic Unit and the IFB were closing in.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57And it seemed that Kami Claims' penchant for causing crashes
0:20:57 > 0:20:59could be their downfall.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03Kami Claims used similar methods for all the claims they pursued.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07They were induced accidents and they were all in the London area
0:21:07 > 0:21:09and the accidents that were taking place were
0:21:09 > 0:21:11commonly on roundabouts or slip roads.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15The evidence was stacked against
0:21:15 > 0:21:18the still-active fraudulent claims management company.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20DI Hindmarsh was ready to pounce.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27In the summer of 2012, we filmed the Met Traffic Unit
0:21:27 > 0:21:30as they brought down the fraudulent Kami Claims.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33They were an organised criminal gang that needed to be stopped.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Once we were happy we'd looked at all of the evidence that we had,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40we took the steps to obtain a number of search warrants.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42I'm outside the company now.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46On the day of the raids, we did three search warrants,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48one on the claims management company,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52which resulted in some cash and some fraudulent documents being recovered.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58This was one of the biggest fraudulent claims management companies ever investigated.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00The evidence trail continued.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03We then went to the address
0:22:03 > 0:22:06of one of the claims management company owners.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08It's the police. Can you open up, please?
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Needing more evidence, the Met Traffic Unit was very keen
0:22:11 > 0:22:12to gain entry to the flat.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20We seized a number of documents from that address.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23There was a great deal of paperwork seized.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27I think it related to somewhere in the region of 250 claims
0:22:27 > 0:22:33that they were currently dealing with on behalf of, erm, customers.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38DI Hindmarsh and his unit hadn't just gone for paperwork.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41They were also going to take the tools of the trade from the fraudsters.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46We also seized around about ten cars.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49We were able to show that these particular vehicles
0:22:49 > 0:22:51had been involved in a crime.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Effectively, they were exhibits, as you would seize a forged document.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57That was the reason that we took the cars.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59The raid had been a complete success.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05The matter was listed at Southwark Crown Court on 1st February 2013.
0:23:05 > 0:23:11The two people who we charged was Ion Vaduva and Andre Malagiac.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15They had both been charged with conspiracy to defraud the insurance industry
0:23:15 > 0:23:17and they both pleaded guilty.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Another crash for cash gang had been brought down by the Met Traffic Unit
0:23:25 > 0:23:27and the IFB,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30making our roads a little bit safer to drive on.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35It's important that claims management companies like Kami Claims are shut down.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37It's not a victimless crime.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41Firstly, in order to make a lot of these claims,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45innocent members of the public's safety is being put at risk.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49Secondly, insurance companies are not the only people that pay for this fraud.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54Ultimately, as consumers, we all pay for the cost in our premiums.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Today, the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, IFED,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09is tracking down two suspects 90 miles apart.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14Both suspects are alleged to have used stolen bank account details
0:24:14 > 0:24:15in order to purchase vehicle insurance.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19This particular case is quite unpleasant
0:24:19 > 0:24:24because the victims are actually a children's charity.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29The team, led by DCI David Wood, is lying in wait for its suspect
0:24:29 > 0:24:32who wasn't at his home address this morning.
0:24:32 > 0:24:3690 miles away, the other IFED team has arrested its suspect.
0:24:39 > 0:24:40We're going to search these premises.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45We have authority to do it under section 32 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act
0:24:45 > 0:24:51- for anything in relation to that offence or any other offence of a similar nature, OK?- All right.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Do you have anything within these premises that you want to show us
0:24:54 > 0:24:58- in relation to the policy that I talked about?- No.- OK.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01All right. If you bear with us, we'll conduct the search
0:25:01 > 0:25:04- and then we'll go from here to the local police station, OK?- OK.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07I'll just ask you to sit tight and assist us with that, OK?
0:25:10 > 0:25:13The search for potential evidence of fraud begins.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Specifically, IFED is looking for items relating to the insurance purchased
0:25:17 > 0:25:20with the charity's stolen bank account details.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25IFED decides to focus the search on the suspect's bedroom.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31One or two items in here that I'll be looking to seize.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35A computer, because he's taken out the policy using his computer.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45A cluttered surface in the suspect's room draws the attention
0:25:45 > 0:25:48of DI Angela Rogers.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50OK, that's just a mobile phone
0:25:50 > 0:25:53that was on the top of the chest of drawers.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00DI Rogers methodically sifts through the stacks of paperwork
0:26:00 > 0:26:02and makes a potentially rewarding find
0:26:02 > 0:26:04in the form of a bank statement.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08This one's just in another name that I don't recognise,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10so we'll just double check this one.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13I'd be concerned as to why they've got a bank account in somebody else's name.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15The address is for this address.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18I'm concerned that it's been opened in a false name.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Amongst the clutter, DI Rogers unearths
0:26:20 > 0:26:25another vehicle registration document linked to the stolen bank account details.
0:26:27 > 0:26:33This is the V5 document for the vehicle he'd insured
0:26:33 > 0:26:39using the charity trust account.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44The suspect is taken away for further questioning
0:26:44 > 0:26:46at a local police station.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53The search is over.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58It's been a very successful search as far as we're concerned.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01It's been a good result for this IFED team
0:27:01 > 0:27:04but it's only one half of a two-location raid.
0:27:04 > 0:27:0990 miles away, DCI David Woods' patience has paid off.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11- Come on, man. - Let's have a chat in the car.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15After a three-hour stake-out, his suspect has finally turned up.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18You'll realise we're decent people.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22WOMAN POLICE OFFICER SPEAKING
0:27:40 > 0:27:42It took a little bit longer than planned
0:27:42 > 0:27:44but DCI Wood is a happy man.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46The investigation is now fully underway,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48suspects are in custody,
0:27:48 > 0:27:52so it's been a successful morning, albeit it didn't go exactly to plan
0:27:52 > 0:27:54but sometimes these things don't.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57But both suspects are now in police detention,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59which is the objective of the exercise.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03A great outcome for both of IFED's teams
0:28:03 > 0:28:07in their on-going fight against the crime of insurance fraud.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd