0:00:02 > 0:00:05Insurance fraud in the UK has hit epidemic levels.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08It's costing us over £2 billion every year.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11That's almost £6 million every day.
0:00:13 > 0:00:19Deliberate crashes, bogus personal injuries, even phantom pets.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22The fraudsters are risking more and more to make a quick killing,
0:00:22 > 0:00:27and every year, it's adding over £50 to YOUR insurance bill.
0:00:27 > 0:00:33But insurers are fighting back, exposing 15 fake claims every hour.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Armed with covert surveillance systems...
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Subject out the vehicle.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41..sophisticated data analysis techniques
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and a highly skilled, dedicated police unit...
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Police! Don't move! Stay where you are!
0:00:46 > 0:00:49..they're catching the criminals red-handed.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50Just don't lie to us.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54All those conmen, scammers and cheats on the fiddle are now
0:00:54 > 0:00:58caught in the act, on Claimed And Shamed.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Police officers. Can you come to the door, please?
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Today, the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department is
0:01:11 > 0:01:12involved in a multiple raid.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Forget about any insurance company now, it's a police matter
0:01:16 > 0:01:17and I'll be dealing with it.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Surveillance footage is used to capture a fraudster in the act.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Mr Dadabhoy was followed into his place of work, which is
0:01:22 > 0:01:24where it all unravelled for him.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27What it is, I do quite a lot of pick up and deliver.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29And the staggering story of the vet who thought
0:01:29 > 0:01:32he could cheat the system but lost everything.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35He chose a life of fraud and he's now paying for it.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44In these times of financial uncertainty, an insurance
0:01:44 > 0:01:47policy that pays out in the event of unemployment can be
0:01:47 > 0:01:49worth its weight in gold.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53At least that's what 49-year-old Anwar Dadabhoy thought
0:01:53 > 0:01:57when he took out such a policy with Aviva in 2008.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00It's one of those insurances that you hope you never need,
0:02:00 > 0:02:05but unfortunately Mr Dadabhoy was made redundant in 2011.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08The good news though was that his policy was still in place
0:02:08 > 0:02:11and so he was able to make a claim from it.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15He had an entitlement to approximately £1,500 a month,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18primarily to offset his mortgage payments
0:02:18 > 0:02:20for the period that he was unemployed.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Several months into the claim, one of Aviva's operatives
0:02:23 > 0:02:26made a routine call to Mr Dadabhoy to see how things were going.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28PHONE RINGS Hello?
0:02:38 > 0:02:39Hang on a minute. What was that, sorry?
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Did he just say Mr Dadabhoy was at work?
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Surely there must be some kind of mistake?
0:02:46 > 0:02:48I thought the claim was for unemployment.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57To be told that someone claiming to be unemployed was actually
0:02:57 > 0:03:01at work wasn't exactly the response Aviva was expecting to hear.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Clearly it would have been inappropriate to continue
0:03:04 > 0:03:08a conversation but I think the explanation that he's at work was
0:03:08 > 0:03:11less than helpful to Mr Dadabhoy, yeah.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Apparently, aware that on face value it looked as though he might
0:03:16 > 0:03:18be pulling a fast one, it wasn't
0:03:18 > 0:03:21long before Mr Dadabhoy got in touch to set the record straight.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Well, that's that cleared up then.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37For a moment there,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40it seemed as though Mr Dadabhoy was one of those insurance fraudsters.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43But just in case Aviva had any doubts,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46he made sure they knew what a fine and upstanding man he really was.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17So, not only was Anwar Dadabhoy a Good Samaritan,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21but he also had a cracking sense of humour.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Although as far as Aviva was concerned,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25this was no laughing matter.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29I do think some people underestimate the resources and sophistication
0:04:29 > 0:04:34that insurers have nowadays to identify and detect fraud.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41We instructed surveillance on Mr Dadabhoy for a short period,
0:04:41 > 0:04:46and that uncovered a vehicle at his house.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49A van with "AD Motors" on the side.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51And Mr Dadabhoy was followed in that van
0:04:51 > 0:04:55to his place of work which is where it all unravelled for him.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58See, what it is, I do quite a lot of pick-up and deliver as well.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00It wouldn't take long just to give it a once-over, would it?
0:05:00 > 0:05:03- Well, I would say about half an hour.- Yeah, half an hour.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05- So, how long have you been here? - I've been here since October.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09- Oh, OK. That's all right, isn't it? It's all right.- I done it all up.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12After examining the footage,
0:05:12 > 0:05:18it didn't take Aviva long to decide that this wasn't voluntary work,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21and that this definitely wasn't the local mosque.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24With rock-solid evidence that Mr Dadabhoy had been earning
0:05:24 > 0:05:27money from his own business whilst claiming on his policy,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Aviva decided to pay him a visit.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33He was confronted face-to-face
0:05:33 > 0:05:35and at that point with the overwhelming evidence,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37he admitted that he had been working,
0:05:37 > 0:05:44and as a result of that, the claim was repudiated in March 2012.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48In July, we instructed the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department.
0:05:48 > 0:05:54Eventually, he was convicted in the Old Bailey in 2013 of fraud
0:05:54 > 0:05:57and received 128 hours' community service.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02Now, in case you're thinking Mr Dadabhoy got off lightly,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05this case had a rather nasty sting in the tail.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09He was also ordered to repay the monies that he had received under
0:06:09 > 0:06:13the policy and to pay legal costs which was around £10,000 in total.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Thanks to a routine phone call, Anwar Dadabhoy had found out
0:06:18 > 0:06:22the hard way that you can't cheat the system and get away with it.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27But what separates him from so many other fraudsters is that he
0:06:27 > 0:06:29did have a genuine claim.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33The irony about Mr Dadabhoy's case I think is that he was prudent
0:06:33 > 0:06:34enough to take out a policy to cover him
0:06:34 > 0:06:38and his family in the event that he was unemployed,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41he was unemployed, and he had policy to fall back on,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44but because of his greed,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46and his fraudulent exaggeration of the claim,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49he actually forfeited all of the benefit he was entitled to
0:06:49 > 0:06:52and because he's now got a conviction, he's going to find
0:06:52 > 0:06:55it even harder to get employment in the future.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59So, the kind of question is, is it worth it, really?
0:06:59 > 0:07:04In Anwar Dadabhoy's case, the answer to that question is a definite no.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Still to come, the doctored pet insurance claims which added
0:07:13 > 0:07:15up to a £200,000 fraud.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18The reciprocal cat or dog that was in those policies was
0:07:18 > 0:07:22- completely made-up.- And a car insurance scammer's worst nightmare.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Normally, I would say that all of this occurred in one incident
0:07:25 > 0:07:27but it's not, it's three separate occurrences.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34In January 2012,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38the police joined the fight against insurance fraud by forming an elite
0:07:38 > 0:07:42squad known as IFED, the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46I would say to anyone who's considering
0:07:46 > 0:07:47committing insurance fraud
0:07:47 > 0:07:50that now this is no longer a crime without
0:07:50 > 0:07:52consequence that it may have been in the past.
0:07:52 > 0:07:58There is a dedicated 40-strong unit known as IFED that work 24/7,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01hunting down insurance fraudsters.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04They've made over 450 arrests,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07and have saved millions of pounds in fraudulent insurance claims,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10money which ultimately goes back in our pockets.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13From now on, fraudsters need to watch their backs.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16So if you're thinking about it, I suggest think again.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18There's every chance you'll get an IFED detective
0:08:18 > 0:08:19come knocking on your front door.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Police! Don't move! Stay where you are!
0:08:25 > 0:08:27It's 6.45am,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30and the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department is carrying out
0:08:30 > 0:08:33a raid on a group of suspects who are thought to have been
0:08:33 > 0:08:36scamming a health insurance company.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Tom Hill and his team are en route to one of the addresses.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43The total amount paid out by the insurance company is about £20,000.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46We suspect they've been doing it to other insurance companies as well,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48so that figure could rise.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51It's thought the suspects are working as a large group
0:08:51 > 0:08:55and so IFED is preparing to raid two separate locations.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58There's another team going to another address
0:08:58 > 0:09:03and there will be a simultaneous arrest if all goes to plan.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05With several suspects at the first location,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Tom needs to make sure his team act fast.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12It's just a question of securing entry in the first case
0:09:12 > 0:09:15and making sure the premises is secure
0:09:15 > 0:09:19and all the people inside are accounted for, for our own safety.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24A few miles away, the other IFED team has arrived at the address
0:09:24 > 0:09:27of the other suspects and are in position ready to make their move.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32With raids like this, speed and surprise are everything.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Once alerted, suspects may make a run for it.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41I'll have a look round.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43So, with the exits covered,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46the occupants of both houses are given a rude awakening.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Police officers, can you come to the door, please?
0:09:55 > 0:09:56Good morning.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58We're City of London Police.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Do you mind if we come in and I'll speak to you?
0:10:00 > 0:10:03I'll tell you what's happening, OK? Who else is in the house?
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Well, get them down. Are they upstairs?
0:10:05 > 0:10:09And I'll speak to you all at once. They're going to have to wake up.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11Good morning, hello.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Detective Inspector Ben Flanagan from the City of London Police,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department. Can I come in, please?
0:10:19 > 0:10:22The crew remain outside at this address.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Meanwhile at the other location,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Tom and his team have rounded up the three occupants of the house.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32OK, we're detectives from the City of London Police,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36I'm going to arrest three of you, OK,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence
0:10:40 > 0:10:42if you do not mention when questioned,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44something which you later rely on in court.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Anything you do say may be given in evidence.
0:10:46 > 0:10:47I am ready to sort this out.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50The occupant claims the insurance company hasn't even spoken
0:10:50 > 0:10:51to him about the fraud.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55OK, well they say they have, and there is a problem, and it has been
0:10:55 > 0:10:56reported as a crime
0:10:56 > 0:10:59- so I'm going to deal with it now as a police officer, OK?- Yeah.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01So forget about any insurance company now.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05It's a police matter, and I'll be dealing with it, OK?
0:11:05 > 0:11:07The case is now in the hands of IFED,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11which means the investigation will be run by its rules.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14To make the raid shorter, IFED always ask for the suspect's
0:11:14 > 0:11:17help in locating any potential evidence.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20We're going to search your whole house,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22but it simplifies it if you can tell us
0:11:22 > 0:11:26where any documentation in relation to any claims you may have made are.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Is there anything down here or is it all upstairs?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33The suspects are being co-operative,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35and have said all paperwork is kept upstairs.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Tom and the team begin with a systematic
0:11:42 > 0:11:44search of the entire property.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48We've arrested the three people we set out to arrest at this address.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51The searches will now take place before the suspects are taken
0:11:51 > 0:11:52back to the police station.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55We're looking for computer equipment which may have been used to
0:11:55 > 0:11:59manufacture fraudulent receipts and invoices,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02and we're looking for paperwork in relation to these insurance
0:12:02 > 0:12:05claims that are believed to be fraudulent.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Although this case relates to health insurance,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10the team have got their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16No cupboard in left unsearched.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Even old computers and laptops are seized,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22as they could contain vital evidence in the case.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Everything is bagged up and labelled,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27ready to be taken away and examined by IFED's investigators.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30We haven't found a huge amount of paperwork.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32What we have found is computer equipment which
0:12:32 > 0:12:34we believe it may be on there.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35And we've found stamps
0:12:35 > 0:12:39and we've found a large number of memory sticks which also will contain
0:12:39 > 0:12:42data. So we're reasonably pleased with what we've found.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48IFED's Financial Investigator Simon Styles has been going through
0:12:48 > 0:12:49the suspect's finances.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Part of my job as a financial investigator is to establish
0:12:54 > 0:12:57what bank accounts people have, what they say they have
0:12:57 > 0:12:59and what they did have, going through the records to
0:12:59 > 0:13:03confirm that, but also to see what lifestyle they've got.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06As part of his investigation, Simon will seize bank statements
0:13:06 > 0:13:08and paying in books to enable him
0:13:08 > 0:13:12to build a clearer picture of the suspects' financial income.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16All the time, I'm totting it up to see what
0:13:16 > 0:13:21expenditure is in the house, their outgoings and incomings
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and does it make sense or is there a gap,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26which would possibly suggest that
0:13:26 > 0:13:30they're living from the proceeds of criminal activity?
0:13:33 > 0:13:34At the other address,
0:13:34 > 0:13:39officers have fond something which could be important to the case.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43IFED's Ben Flanagan calls Tom to give him the news.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47We've found details of a safety deposit box here,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51um, so I'm thinking there may well be documents relating to this
0:13:51 > 0:13:56offence or cash from it in the box.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59If IFED want to see what's being kept here,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02they need to fill in more paperwork to access it.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07I've now got to consider whether we get another search warrant
0:14:07 > 0:14:09so I'm just going to see who we've got available
0:14:09 > 0:14:12and who could draft up the warrant application
0:14:12 > 0:14:16and then we'll get over to court this morning and swear out the warrant.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21With the searches at both properties complete, the suspects,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24along with the evidence seized, are taken back to the station.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31But the most important thing now is that IFED get its hands
0:14:31 > 0:14:36on the safety deposit box which could contain important evidence.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40Still to come, IFED are surprised at what they find.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44As you can see, it would appear we've got items of jewellery.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46We will be seizing all of this.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57With around 65 million pets in the UK, it's fair to say that
0:14:57 > 0:14:58we're a nation of animal lovers.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03But caring for your furry friend can be an expensive business,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06and in recent years, pet insurance has soared, with policies on cats
0:15:06 > 0:15:11and dogs paying out over £450 million in 2012 alone.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Inevitably, unscrupulous fraudsters
0:15:15 > 0:15:17have seen this boom as an opportunity
0:15:17 > 0:15:18to line their own pockets,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21and are costing the industry millions of pounds every year.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Officer in IFED, how can I help you?
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Simon Styles is a financial investigator at IFED
0:15:28 > 0:15:30at the City of London Police.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35In 2012, he reviewed a claim submitted by a 38-year-old vet
0:15:35 > 0:15:39called Matthew Morgan for injuries to his pet cat, Joe.
0:15:41 > 0:15:47Mr Morgan had put in a claim that he was driving with his wife
0:15:47 > 0:15:50and the cat was on his wife's lap and they had an accident.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53It all appeared pretty straightforward.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55But when the insurance company made a routine check with
0:15:55 > 0:15:58the surgery who were alleged to have carried out the treatment,
0:15:58 > 0:16:00the practice had closed a number of months ago,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03which raised alarm bells with the IFED team.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09The doctor who had reportedly seen the cat at the time was
0:16:09 > 0:16:12actually working there, was on holiday at the time.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17The insurance company could smell a rat, and referred the case to Simon.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24Over the period of three years, he had set up 19 different
0:16:24 > 0:16:28policies on the back of 19 animals that he said he owned.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31But he didn't own any of them.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35He completely made up every single cat or dog.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39So, it wasn't an opportunist fraud.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42He saw an opportunity because of where he worked,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45but it wasn't an opportunity, it was premeditated.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48After three years and over 50 fraudulent claims on pets
0:16:48 > 0:16:50that never even existed,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Matthew Morgan really was the cat who got the cream,
0:16:53 > 0:16:57and had developed what he thought was a foolproof recipe for success.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02He would make a policy for insurance of a cat or dog
0:17:02 > 0:17:04that didn't happen.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05And at some point,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08he would then make a claim which was then stamped to legitimatise
0:17:08 > 0:17:10it from the veterinary surgeon
0:17:10 > 0:17:15and the claim form would be sent off to the insurers.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Cashing in on phantom pets and using his professional reputation
0:17:18 > 0:17:21meant the claims were always paid and in his own words,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24- "It was easy money." - Because it was a professional body,
0:17:24 > 0:17:30they wouldn't look at it again and they'd be happy and pay out.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34And the money would go straight back into Mr Morgan's account
0:17:34 > 0:17:36and Mr Morgan would spend it.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42It was spent on cars, it was spent on holidays.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44He had family in Australia,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47but he didn't just go there, he just had a lavish lifestyle.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Lots of trips out, a lot of weekends and breaks, a lot of meals,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54it was just on everyday life but luxurious things
0:17:54 > 0:17:58and a lot of people can't afford that. And he could afford it
0:17:58 > 0:18:02in any event, but he just chose to go a little bit more.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Quite simply, Matthew Morgan was a man living beyond his means
0:18:05 > 0:18:07and driven by greed.
0:18:08 > 0:18:14I worked out that throughout the period of his fraudulent claims,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18it was a period of some 37 months,
0:18:18 > 0:18:23and during that time he'd actually legitimately earned £143,000.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26That averages over £5,000 a month which most people would think
0:18:26 > 0:18:29was a fair wage, and there was no need to do anything else.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34But he was greedy, he saw an opportunity, and he wanted more.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39And he got £198,000 more than he should have had.
0:18:39 > 0:18:45Unless he had been identified by the insurers and investigated by us,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48he'd still be carrying on, I've no doubt of that.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52After abusing his position of trust
0:18:52 > 0:18:55and using his expert knowledge to deceive insurance companies,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Matthew Morgan was well and truly in the doghouse.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02I take personal satisfaction, as me and my colleagues do,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04into convicting these individuals.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07There's only one place for them, and that's behind bars.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Simon's view was echoed by the judge, when Morgan appeared
0:19:14 > 0:19:19at the Old Bailey on 23rd August 2013 and was jailed for two years.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24He had lost his possessions, his home and his career after
0:19:24 > 0:19:27being struck off the register of veterinary surgeons.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Matthew Morgan had lose everything.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Matthew Morgan was earning a lot of money legitimately.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38He had no need to commit fraud. No need whatsoever.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40He could have had holidays, he could have had comfy cars,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42he could have visited his family abroad.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46He chose a life of fraud and he's now paying for it.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55For unscrupulous criminals,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58car insurance fraud can be a massive earner,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02worth almost £400 million a year. But insurance companies
0:20:02 > 0:20:05and the police are clamping down and fighting back.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07One of the biggest threats to these fraudsters
0:20:07 > 0:20:09are forensic engineers like Barry Wheeler,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11and he's seeing more and more cases
0:20:11 > 0:20:15where crashes aren't what they might appear to be at first glance.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21The job of a forensic engineer is to look at the damage on the cars in
0:20:21 > 0:20:23order to establish whether the cars
0:20:23 > 0:20:26have genuinely crashed in an accident,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28or whether an accident's been manufactured,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30or whether the cars have never hit each other at all.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36A self-confessed petrolhead, Barry has been examining crash scenes
0:20:36 > 0:20:38and damaged vehicles for almost 30 years.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42So, when Barry speaks, insurance companies listen.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45This damage here takes the form of horizontal scratches.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Something has scraped along the side of the car. This is a vandal scratch.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51That's not related to that at all.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54That carries on through but then separate on here,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56you've got a damage on the bumper.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58He's reversed into a post or something.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00You can see that there's this vertical line.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Quite normally, they would say that all of this occurred in one incident,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06but it's not. It's three separate occurrences.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Completely different accidents.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11And there's no limit to the lengths some people will go to
0:21:11 > 0:21:13in order to boost their claim.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I've seen cases where people have literally hit the wing of their
0:21:16 > 0:21:20car with a hammer and tried to induce an accident but that's terrible.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24You'll see that as soon as you walk up to the car.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26You know full well it's nothing to do with it.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29An opportunist taking a hammer to their pride
0:21:29 > 0:21:33and joy is one thing, but what Barry's dealing with more and more
0:21:33 > 0:21:37are criminal gangs who will go to extraordinary measures to cash in.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39There are a number of people that want to make
0:21:39 > 0:21:43fraudulent insurance claims and they will make an accident happen.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Crash for cash is where people is where people will either get
0:21:47 > 0:21:49two vehicles which are both damaged
0:21:49 > 0:21:53and say that they've crashed into each other, they may just get a car
0:21:53 > 0:21:55and crash into it on purpose and say it was an accident,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58sometimes they'll even dupe a member of the public into crashing
0:21:58 > 0:22:02into them, but they do it on purpose in order to say that
0:22:02 > 0:22:05an accident has occurred so that they can make a claim.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Having dealt with thousands of car crashes over the years,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Barry knows all too well that the real cost of this
0:22:10 > 0:22:14type of crime isn't measured in pound notes.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16When people are duped into having accidents, it's traumatic.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Lorry drivers, they're people like you and I.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21If they crashed into a vehicle, it affects them.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23I mean they may lose their job if they have too many accidents
0:22:23 > 0:22:26but it's not their fault if someone's causing it.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29So it's not a victimless crime, there's a lot of victims involved.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31And of course people are getting injured as well,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33genuinely getting injured.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36The good news is that with the help of experts like Barry,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39car insurance fraud is being stamped out.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42I think fraudsters need to know that it's coming to an end.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46The courts are becoming aware of their actions.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Everybody in the industry is aware of what they're doing.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53We have the tools to prove the frauds that are being committed
0:22:53 > 0:22:54and it's being clamped down on.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58One of the biggest success stories in the fight against this
0:22:58 > 0:23:01crime dates back to 2007
0:23:02 > 0:23:06when the Claims Fraud Intelligence Team at Aviva were alerted to
0:23:06 > 0:23:09some suspicious activity from an individual linked to a claims
0:23:09 > 0:23:11management company.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13There were a large number of claims that we received.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15The accident location was very similar,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18the accident circumstances were all very similar, they were
0:23:18 > 0:23:22pulling out of side roads and they all linked back to the same company.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24So we investigated further.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28The idea of a claims management company is to help take
0:23:28 > 0:23:30the stress off the policy holder,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34but this particular company was only interested in helping itself.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37They were deliberately crashing vehicles into each other
0:23:37 > 0:23:41to claim for hire, recovery, storage.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43The engineers reports that they were submitting were not
0:23:43 > 0:23:46consistent with the damage when our engineers inspected them.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48The hire documentation was fraudulent
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and they were submitting a high number of injury claims.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55The company had been staging accidents
0:23:55 > 0:23:58and then cashing in on the claims, and it soon became clear that
0:23:58 > 0:24:03Aviva were dealing with motor insurance fraud on a massive scale.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06I don't think I anticipated how quickly it was going to grow.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08It grew on a weekly basis,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11and very quickly we had a large number of claims and this was
0:24:11 > 0:24:16a massive fraud ring of 64 live claims that we were dealing with.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19But the surprises didn't end there.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21The investigation revealed that over a four year period,
0:24:21 > 0:24:26the directors of the company had submitted over 120 bogus claims
0:24:26 > 0:24:29for accidents that never even happened,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31in a scam worth £2 million.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Unaware that the insurance companies were onto them, the fraudsters
0:24:34 > 0:24:37thought they were laughing all the way to the bank.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40But they were about to get a nasty surprise of their own.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42We presented all the evidence
0:24:42 > 0:24:44and our findings to the Metropolitan Police,
0:24:44 > 0:24:46and they decided that this was an organised crime
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and it was something that
0:24:48 > 0:24:50they were going to investigate and take further.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Samsul Haque received five years' imprisonment
0:24:53 > 0:24:55and ten years' disqualified of being
0:24:55 > 0:24:57a company director. And at the time, that was the largest ever
0:24:57 > 0:25:00prison sentence for conspiracy to defraud an insurer,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02so Aviva were particularly proud
0:25:02 > 0:25:04of being involved in this investigation.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Samsul Haque's two associates were given a total of six years behind
0:25:09 > 0:25:14bars, and banned from being company directors for five years each.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17The trio had been well and truly claimed and shamed,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19and the tough sentences they received sent out a clear
0:25:19 > 0:25:24message to anyone else who thought insurance fraud is easy money.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25I think before this case,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27fraudsters thought that they could get away with this
0:25:27 > 0:25:29kind of activity, that the
0:25:29 > 0:25:32worst that was going to happen was that their claims wouldn't be paid,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34but I think the largest ever prison sentence of five years
0:25:34 > 0:25:36shows that this is a precedence-setting case
0:25:36 > 0:25:39and that they will be prosecuted and they will be sentenced.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Police officers! Can you come to the door, please?
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Who else is in the house? They're going to have to wake up.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55IFED has simultaneously raided two addresses in connection with
0:25:55 > 0:25:58a suspected medical insurance fraud group.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01There is a problem, and it's been reported as a crime
0:26:01 > 0:26:04so I'm going to be dealing with it now as a police officer, OK?
0:26:04 > 0:26:08So far, officers have uncovered laptops, memory sticks, and
0:26:08 > 0:26:12several rubber stamps, all thought to be key in their investigation.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15The operation's gone well, although the biggest lead of the day
0:26:15 > 0:26:19may have come from the IFED team that raided the other property.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23We've found details of a safety deposit box here.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27There may well be documents relating to this offence in the box.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30The suspects have been arrested
0:26:30 > 0:26:33and taken to the local police station for questioning, while
0:26:33 > 0:26:36the IFED team apply for a warrant to access the safety deposit box.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43It's vital that IFED gets to it as quickly as possible,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45as they want to ensure that no-one else tries to remove or
0:26:45 > 0:26:49destroy any potential evidence within it.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Traditionally, items of high value are stored in these boxes,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06so the IFED team is keen to discover exactly what's inside.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18And as you can see, it would appear that we've got items of jewellery.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20We will be seizing all of this.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25The box is packed full with jewellery, documents and other
0:27:25 > 0:27:29items of value, which may be evidence for the IFED investigation.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35We've got a cash credit invoice here for £1,800.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42We've found lots of jewellery.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Until we get that priced,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46we're not going to know exactly what the value of that is.
0:27:46 > 0:27:47But it will be very interesting
0:27:47 > 0:27:49because obviously they're going to
0:27:49 > 0:27:51have to account for those items.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55It'll be very interesting to find out how these items
0:27:55 > 0:27:57came into their possession.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00So all in all, it's been a very successful day.
0:28:00 > 0:28:01That's everything, yeah.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08The contents of the safety deposit box is IFED's largest ever
0:28:08 > 0:28:10haul of jewellery.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12The case is still under investigation.