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 > 0:00:18Deliberate crashes, bogus personal injuries, even phantom pets.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22The fraudsters are risking more and more to make a quick killing.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Every 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 > 0:00:38That's a subject out the vehicle.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41..sophisticated data analysis techniques...
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and a highly-skilled, dedicated police unit...
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Police. Don't move. Stay where you are.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50- ..they're catching the criminals red-handed.- Just don't lie to us.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54All those conmen, scammers and cheats on the fiddle
0:00:54 > 0:00:57are now caught in the act and Claimed and Shamed.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Coming up: How a mobile phone insurance claimant's just dialled it in.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15We've seen more sophisticated frauds, I think it's fair to say.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17The IFED team get prepped for an arrest...
0:01:17 > 0:01:19We get vested up for all jobs.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21You never know what's going to be behind the front door.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26..and how one bus passenger takes the realms of exaggeration up a gear.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28You can't get any further from the truth
0:01:28 > 0:01:31than what actually happened in this incident.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38These days, you're no-one if you don't have a smartphone.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42With some models costing more than £700,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45they've become a major target for insurance fraud.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Because they are small, they're portable, they're easily lost
0:01:48 > 0:01:51and stolen, they're valuable, they're always being updated
0:01:51 > 0:01:54and there's always a demand for them.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Would-be conman Mr Hussein thought he'd try it on with a smartphone
0:01:58 > 0:02:00scam, but the insurers had his number.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05He began by opening an insurance policy for an iPhone.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16And another.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18And another.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21In all, he took out ten policies,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25in one day, from the same insurer, Aviva.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35Clearly, he wasn't putting much effort into covering his tracks.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Although he was keen to cash in
0:02:37 > 0:02:39using the same receipt each time...
0:02:41 > 0:02:44It was a claims-handler in our claims centre that made
0:02:44 > 0:02:50the connection, identified that he presented the same documentation
0:02:50 > 0:02:54in support of each of the claims, which was an invoice from eBay.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56..and before long, submitted ten claims
0:02:56 > 0:02:58adding up to an incredible seven grand.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00With such a large amount at stake,
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Aviva looked at the receipt in more detail.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05We were able to establish that the transactions on eBay
0:03:05 > 0:03:07had never been completed and
0:03:07 > 0:03:09therefore the purchases never occurred.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12It was clear to Aviva that a fraudster was at work,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15but not a particularly good one.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17They went back to the claims and noticed something else.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25- The first names were all different. - Luke, Jason, Albert, Jack.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34But Mr Hussein couldn't be bothered
0:03:34 > 0:03:36to come up with different fake surnames.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52We've seen more sophisticated frauds, I think it's fair to say.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55His sheer laziness meant the fraud was easily uncovered.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58What unravelled from Mr Hussein was the fact that he was using
0:03:58 > 0:04:03bogus names and addresses for the same items,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05lost in the same circumstances,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09and providing the same documentation, using the same bank account.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15With such strong evidence, the case was passed to the authorities.
0:04:15 > 0:04:21Mr Hussein was arrested and charged with ten counts of fraud,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25and he received a six week custodial sentence
0:04:25 > 0:04:28and 100 hours community service.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32We thought it was a proportionate outcome, that he deserved.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42The case with Mr Hussein is sadly a common one.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Opportunistic fraudsters cost the industry £2 billion a year.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50But if you thought lying over the telephone was child's play,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53you'd be wrong, as Sally Griffiths and her crack team
0:04:53 > 0:04:56of psychological claims-handlers know only too well.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02It's actually very difficult for a person to lie over the telephone,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05and people...of course, we have the advantage because people think
0:05:05 > 0:05:09it's easier than it is in a face-to-face situation.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13People are more brazen and they try it on, perhaps, a little bit more
0:05:13 > 0:05:17over the phone than if somebody was sitting face-to-face with them.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19But surely an insurance scammer would know
0:05:19 > 0:05:22if they were being interrogated over the phone?
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Well, that's the beauty of this technique.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27What seems like a friendly chat to you and I could really be
0:05:27 > 0:05:30an in-depth investigation into the truth behind your claim.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34We use a combination of psychology, conversation management
0:05:34 > 0:05:37and a little bit of cognitive interviewing skills, as well.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Our investigators have intensive training in order to pick up
0:05:41 > 0:05:44any signs of deceptive behaviour over the telephone.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47In other words, the team at VFM Services can work out
0:05:47 > 0:05:50by the way you talk if you're lying,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53just by listening to the way you describe your claim.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56It's really interesting how much detail a person can go into
0:05:56 > 0:05:59if what's happened to them is genuine, but a fraudster really
0:05:59 > 0:06:03struggles with this, so we're really listening to see how much detail
0:06:03 > 0:06:05they can give us confidently.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08By studying trends in insurance fraud, Sally's teams have
0:06:08 > 0:06:12been able to pinpoint the profile of the average fraudster.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15And you might be surprised at the results.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18We've actually done quite a lot of research into this,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22and what we've found is the average fraudster is very typically
0:06:22 > 0:06:25an opportunist, someone who doesn't consider themselves to be
0:06:25 > 0:06:29a criminal, and someone who is just perhaps an ordinary person.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Doesn't think there's anything wrong with it at all.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34But it's this cavalier attitude which is ultimately
0:06:34 > 0:06:36an insurance cheat's downfall.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42Their voice can give away so much, you can detect an awful lot
0:06:42 > 0:06:44of nervousness and hesitation in a voice.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Once the fraudster realises that it's not so easy, we find that
0:06:48 > 0:06:51customers tend to withdraw their claims rather than carry on.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54And when it comes to the success of these techniques,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57the figures speak for themselves.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Our fraud detection techniques have had a really big
0:07:00 > 0:07:03impact on the industry. In the last nine years,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06we've saved over £58 million for the industry as a whole.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Last year, 40 percent of the customers that we spoke to
0:07:09 > 0:07:13actually chose to walk away from their claims, or had their claims
0:07:13 > 0:07:16repudiated because of the techniques that we were using.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Still to come, a crash for cash gang get dramatic.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29A person ran down the bus and head-butted the windscreen of it.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30Totally over the top.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33And how a shaggy dog story was quickly sniffed out.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36The policyholder suggested she'd reported the loss to the police,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39but there was no police reference number.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Crash for cash is an insurer's worst nightmare.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50It's a scam used by criminal gangs to collect huge insurance pay-outs.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Whether they damage the cars themselves, or target
0:07:53 > 0:07:55innocent drivers in deliberate road crashes,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59the gangs don't care who they rip off, or who gets hurt.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02When a bus travelling at low speed crashed on a quiet route
0:08:02 > 0:08:04in Sheffield, it was seen as an accident
0:08:04 > 0:08:06and nothing out of the ordinary.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12After the crash, a report was filed by the driver.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Simon Robertson is from First Group, the company that owns the bus.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Following the accident, we ask our drivers, all of our drivers,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21to report through to our first response unit.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24The driver did so on this occasion and the details were taken,
0:08:24 > 0:08:30and a lot of it looked sort of fairly innocent, innocuous and normal.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34But then something happened which turned the case on its head.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38The police received a tip-off alleging fraud on a massive scale.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41We were getting in calls from an anonymous male
0:08:41 > 0:08:43saying that this accident has been staged,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and there were going to be a lot of fraudulent claims submitted,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49and they were going to defraud the insurance companies.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53They went back to the report and immediately noticed some discrepancies.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56The bus would generally have had about six people on it,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58on that journey at that time of day.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01But when the accident occurred, the bus was packed.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05As predicted, large numbers of claims started to roll in.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08At the time of the accident, there were 34 people on the bus
0:09:08 > 0:09:10and we received claims from 29.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12In such an accident, where the collision occurred
0:09:12 > 0:09:15at such a low speed, there might be no claim at all, there might be some
0:09:15 > 0:09:18minor damage to the vehicle that might need repairing.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Injury claims, probably not.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24However, the claims were all remarkably similar
0:09:24 > 0:09:27and alleged serious injuries.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30The soft tissue injuries that were presented, or what you might term
0:09:30 > 0:09:32a whiplash injury, didn't really correlate
0:09:32 > 0:09:35with the force of the impact that had been reported to us.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38But not everyone on the bus was in on the scam,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42and their version of events was very different from what was being claimed.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45The genuine passengers were saying to the police
0:09:45 > 0:09:50that this was a minor crash and yet people were throwing themselves
0:09:50 > 0:09:53about on the bus, one person ran down the bus
0:09:53 > 0:09:57and head-butted the windscreen of it. Totally over the top.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Everything was pointing to fraud on a massive scale,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02so the police began to dig deeper.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06We started looking at the people on the bus and recognising them,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09and because of the intelligence we'd got,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13we started looking at a claims company, which was City Claims 4 U,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16and we could see there were links between the claims company,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19the bus driver and other people on the bus,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21to the point where we executed a
0:10:21 > 0:10:24warrant at the claims company's offices,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27and there we found various documents,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30lists of people's names, of people who'd been on the bus
0:10:30 > 0:10:34and it was clear to us that some fraud was actually taking place.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37The bus crash was just the tip of the iceberg.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40We investigated further into the claims company
0:10:40 > 0:10:44and found about 38 suspicious claims, or incidents,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47that had been claimed for across the country.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Again and again, the same names cropped up.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Some of them were involved in various accidents, in various
0:10:52 > 0:10:56capacities, and you think, "Are these people really this unlucky?"
0:10:56 > 0:10:59And the answer is no. And in some instances,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02we were able to prove that they weren't actually
0:11:02 > 0:11:05in the locations that they claimed to be at the time of the accident.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08The police suspected that the owners of City Claims 4 U
0:11:08 > 0:11:13- were behind a huge web of fraud. - They were an organised crime group.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Omar Gulzar and Shoaib Nawaz were the centre of it.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Omar Gulzar, in particular, attracted the attention of the police.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22He was a very controlling, domineering character.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Many people were afraid of him and he used that fear
0:11:25 > 0:11:27to manipulate them for his own gain.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Perhaps the most disturbing element of the scam
0:11:29 > 0:11:32was the involvement of the bus driver.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36He'd been paid £500 by the gang to make the accident seem legitimate.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41Adam Herbert was a poor soul, really. He's ended up being a victim himself, if you like.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44He'd been bullied and frightened and backed into a corner,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47for whatever reason, where he felt, he would say, that he had no option
0:11:47 > 0:11:50but to go through with it. He could have come to the police and said,
0:11:50 > 0:11:55"Look, I'm being forced to do this, can you help me?" And we would have been able to help him.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Hard facts were needed to build the case,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00so First Group examined the vehicles involved.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03There was pretty minor damage suffered by the bus in this accident.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06We've got photos showing minor cracks at the front of the bus.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10The other vehicle was reported as having suffered minor damage at the time.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13However, when we were sent photographs later on, they showed
0:12:13 > 0:12:16really quite extensive damage to the back of the other vehicle.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19It didn't add up, so they called in a professional.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23The forensic engineer reported back that the damage clearly
0:12:23 > 0:12:27could not have been sustained in the accident, and it looked to him
0:12:27 > 0:12:30as if it had clearly been done elsewhere, at another time,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34perhaps involved in other accidents or hit with a sledgehammer a number of times.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37This additional evidence made us more suspicious.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42The investigation revealed the breathtaking scale of Omar and Shoaib's crimes.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45We believe these fraudsters had been arranging these accidents
0:12:45 > 0:12:48for at least six months during the first part of 2011,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51and they had as many as 56 accidents.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54After a thorough investigation, the case came to court.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58The judge identified this as a highly-organised criminal gang
0:12:58 > 0:13:01that the public needed protection from. So Mohammed Omar Gulzar,
0:13:01 > 0:13:05he was the organiser. He got sentenced to 4.5 years imprisonment.
0:13:05 > 0:13:11Shoaib Nawaz was his kind of deputy. He was imprisoned for 3.5 years.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15Adam Herbert was also punished for his part in the fraud.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20The bus driver in this case got a 20 month prison sentence for the sake of £500.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23He should have known better. He took a terrible risk
0:13:23 > 0:13:27in risking his own life, possibly, and the passengers on the bus.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29He's been caught, he's been prosecuted,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32he has a criminal record. A high price to pay.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Gulzar and Nawaz tried to claim £500,000 in fake accidents,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40but failed and collectively were put behind bars...
0:13:40 > 0:13:41for eight years.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51The Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, or IFED for short,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54is an insurance scammer's worst nightmare.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57There is a dedicated, 40-strong unit
0:13:57 > 0:14:02that work 24/7, hunting down insurance fraudsters.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07The team was set up over two years ago to crack down on insurance crime in the UK.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Is there anything here that shouldn't be here?
0:14:09 > 0:14:11That we're going to find?
0:14:11 > 0:14:14In that time, it's made over 450 arrests,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17and seen around 200 prosecutions.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22If it's a fraud, it's in insurance, then it may well come to
0:14:22 > 0:14:25IFED's attention and IFED will take the necessary action.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Police officers. Can you come to the door, please?
0:14:31 > 0:14:34It's 7 o'clock in the morning and Detective Constable Kate Sibley
0:14:34 > 0:14:37is up north, preparing for an early morning raid.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41We get vested up for all jobs. It's just obviously safety.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Mandatory. You never know what's going to be behind the front door.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Big knives, etc. I'm not saying the chap we are after today
0:14:48 > 0:14:51has got knives or anything, but we want to be on the safe side.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Arriving at the suspect's house before sunrise means the team
0:14:56 > 0:14:59have a head start on any individual they're investigating.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03I enjoy coming out and knocking on people's doors,
0:15:03 > 0:15:09if I'm honest with you. And finding the evidence to prosecute.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12The office-bound side of it isn't quite so exciting,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15but it's all part and parcel of the job, so it has to be done to build the case.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18But I do enjoy the early starts and the knocking on the doors.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Along with her colleague, DS Mark Forster,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25they're on their way to arrest a suspect,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29who they believe has been involved in a fraudulent insurance claim.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31The job today's in relation to a claim that's been
0:15:31 > 0:15:35put in for personal injury and damages,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39saying that the local authority were at fault and negligent.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Kate's investigations have led her to an address thought to be
0:15:43 > 0:15:45the suspect's main residence.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48But locating a property in the dark is always tricky.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54They're just sort of all tucked away.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57The address we are going to, they're all tucked away behind new build houses.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- In here?- Yeah. Um...
0:16:02 > 0:16:05So it's a little bit difficult to find. It's in these...
0:16:05 > 0:16:07- These ones here?- Yeah, these ones here.
0:16:09 > 0:16:10Just a minute.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Moments later, Kate and the team arrive at the house,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22but concerned the suspect may make a run for it,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25they ask the local police to cover all exits.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26Just want to go round the back?
0:16:31 > 0:16:32Morning. City of London Police.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Is ... about? Have you got his address?
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Have you got a phone number for him? Can I have it, please?
0:16:38 > 0:16:41It's alleged the suspect no longer lives at the address,
0:16:41 > 0:16:46but the occupant does have a contact number for him, so Mark gives him a call.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49It's Detective Sergeant Mark Forster from the City of London Police here.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52But he doesn't answer and Mark has to leave a message.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55We need to interview you, as a matter of urgency,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58in relation to a matter we're investigating.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Can you please give me a call back?
0:17:00 > 0:17:03It means the IFED team have lost the element of surprise,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06and run the risk of losing evidence.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10It's in your interest to get back to me as soon as possible.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11Yep.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13- All we can do is wait.- Mm.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17We can only do what we can do. But we'll get hold of him somehow.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Whether it's he's invited in or we eventually find an address for him
0:17:22 > 0:17:25and we go and knock on the door. So if he doesn't come back to us,
0:17:25 > 0:17:30then we'll just have to go back and do a lot more digging, find out his latest address and then...
0:17:30 > 0:17:31come back. I won't give up.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36But Kate is confident they will get their man.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40It's just going to be a waiting game to see if he contacts us.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43He can't hide.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45We will get you. One way or another.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Later, Kate closes the net on her suspect.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54Oh, yes, I am. Where are you?
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Every year, thousands of pets go missing in the UK.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06For the owners, the loss can be unbearable.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09When people lose a dog, people are desperately upset.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13It's not like where you've got a motor car with a dent in the wing
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and you just get the dent knocked out. It's part of your family.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20In May 2010, one family was left devastated
0:18:20 > 0:18:23when their beloved pooch ran off during a riverside walk.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Having lost all hope of finding the dog, its owners submitted
0:18:26 > 0:18:30a claim to Agria Pet Insurance, explaining what had happened.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34The letter that came in with a claim form talked about how the family
0:18:34 > 0:18:37and the children, you know, searched frantically for the animal.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41So very, very emotive in terms of the claim form information.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Looked high and low for the animal for a few hours that afternoon.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Had family and friends out to look after it, look for it as well.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51And then she'd also gone back to the spot for a number of weeks
0:18:51 > 0:18:55afterwards, left treats out, but to no avail.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59It was a tragic loss. Although nothing could replace the beloved family pet,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02the insurers had to assess the missing mutt's worth.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06It was an eight-month old, a smooth-haired miniature dachshund.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08To all intents and purposes, a young, healthy animal.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11If you bought one again, you could range in price
0:19:11 > 0:19:15probably from 500 maybe to £1,000.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17All that was left to do was check the paperwork,
0:19:17 > 0:19:22which is when the story started to look decidedly shaggy.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26The first point where we had doubts was that the receipt
0:19:26 > 0:19:30that came in from the breeder, or was submitted on behalf of the breeder,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33the handwriting was very, very similar to the claim form.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36This gave the insurers "paws" for thought
0:19:36 > 0:19:39and they double-checked the other details.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42The policyholder suggested she'd reported the loss to the police,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45but there was no police reference number.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48There were one or two other things as well, for example,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51the dog had never seen a vet in eight months,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55at all, even supposedly with the breeder or with the owner.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Now most dogs see a vet as a matter of course.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00There was more than a whiff of suspicion about the claim,
0:20:00 > 0:20:05so Agria requested photographic evidence of the owner's beloved pet.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09We had seven photographs submitted. Again, more cause for doubt
0:20:09 > 0:20:12because very evidently in the seven photographs,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14there were three different dogs there.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17To the untrained eye, they all look the same.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21But are you ready for a bit of doggy spot the difference?
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Number one: The ages of the dogs are all different.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Number two: The eyebrow features are different.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32And number three: The colouring on the nose.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39And after some sniffing around, Agria investigators
0:20:39 > 0:20:42quickly turned up the source of one of the pictures.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45We looked around the internet, a cursory search on Google images found
0:20:45 > 0:20:49the animal that had been used in the poster, and that was on a training website.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54And one of the other photographs was from an American website for
0:20:54 > 0:20:57puppies for sale. It looks like she went on to the internet to find
0:20:57 > 0:21:00images of dachshunds. Certainly, to pull the poster together,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02an image of a dachshund was used,
0:21:02 > 0:21:06rather than one of the photographs she had of a dachshund with a family.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Meanwhile, the owner finally produced a police reference number,
0:21:10 > 0:21:11but made a howler here.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15However, in chasing that up, it appeared that the date
0:21:15 > 0:21:17that the animal was reported missing was three days
0:21:17 > 0:21:20before the actual date on the claim form.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23By now, the claim was looking decidedly shaky.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27We had sufficient evidence to give us sufficient confidence
0:21:27 > 0:21:29that what was being claimed for was not right,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31was fraudulent and wasn't a bona fide claim.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35The policyholder had made a real dog's dinner of the claim,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38with the wrong date, handwriting and pictures,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41she'd well and truly put her foot in it, and Agria rejected it.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50The double-decker is a stalwart of our streets.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Always there, any time of the day or night, to take us from A to B.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59First Group transport over 2 million passengers every day,
0:21:59 > 0:22:04so when a report of an accident came in to Lee Ingram, it wasn't that unusual.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08- Yet.- The lady's claimed that the bus had stopped suddenly,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10causing her to fall down the stairwell from the upper deck.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12She has then injured her back and
0:22:12 > 0:22:14found herself lying prone on the floor.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Her nephew has then fallen down the stairs after her,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and fallen on top of her, basically.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Falling from such a height down steep stairs on a moving bus
0:22:23 > 0:22:25can cause serious injuries.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Falling down from the top of the stairs to the bottom on a bus,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32you could quite conceivably break limbs or suffer a nasty head injury.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35So when a claim came in for a series of muscular injuries,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38the case was still not that unusual.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40The lady claimed that she sustained soft tissue,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42probably muscular, injuries to her back and leg,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45and also she was having problems sleeping.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Nine months on, she was still having difficulties with these injuries.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Her nephew also claimed that he had sustained a whiplash injury
0:22:53 > 0:22:56when his neck was jerked backwards.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58What did appear strange was that the woman
0:22:58 > 0:23:01and her 19-year-old nephew never reported it to the bus driver.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05But, as the saying goes, pride comes before a fall.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Sometimes, if people are injured on buses, they are embarrassed,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11you can be a bit ashamed if you fall
0:23:11 > 0:23:13over on a bus and everyone is sort of looking at you,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15and you won't always stop and speak to the driver,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17you will sometimes just get off the bus,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20but CCTV will show whether it happened or not.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23The camera never lies, so Lee took to the multiple on-board
0:23:23 > 0:23:26CCTV cameras to see exactly what happened.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Now prepare yourself, this is pretty shocking.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36When reviewing the footage, I saw the lady and her nephew board the bus.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39They walk quite comfortably up the stairs,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42they sit at the front of the bus. Some time passes.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45They press the bell. They walk down the stairs.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48The nephew walks down first and waits at the bottom. The bus stops.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51He gets off the bus, closely followed by his aunt.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56They both exit with no event having happened whatsoever.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Uh, sorry, can I see that again? I think I missed something.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05I watched the footage from the beginning to the end,
0:24:05 > 0:24:09and there was nothing on that footage that even closely resembled
0:24:09 > 0:24:12what this lady was describing.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16No, you didn't miss it. The woman never fell down the stairs.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21And, as the footage shows, she walked off the bus completely unscathed.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25You can't get any further from the truth than what actually happened in this incident.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Nothing has happened throughout the whole journey to resemble
0:24:28 > 0:24:31anything like she is describing.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Most insurance fraud is an opportunistic
0:24:33 > 0:24:36exaggeration of an event that did happen,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39but this woman took it to a whole new level.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Most instances, you'll see someone will exaggerate the circumstances
0:24:45 > 0:24:49and say something had happened when there were slight variations.
0:24:49 > 0:24:55It's extremely rare that we actually get a claim in where nothing happened at all.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58It's actually quite shocking as to how anyone would make such
0:24:58 > 0:25:01a blatant attempt to defraud a company.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05The story is totally and utterly fabricated.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08It's just shocking that someone would even try this.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10First Group rejected the claim.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18The IFED team are on the hunt for a man involved
0:25:18 > 0:25:21in an alleged personal injury insurance fraud.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24They'd hoped that by getting to his address before daylight,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26they'd get their man and any evidence.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Just want to go round the back?
0:25:29 > 0:25:30But they've come to a dead end.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Morning. City of London police. Is ... about?
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Have you got a phone number for him?
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Forced to leave a message on his phone...
0:25:38 > 0:25:41We need to interview you as a matter of urgency...
0:25:41 > 0:25:43All they can do is wait.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47We will get you. One way or another.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53After following some leads, they think they've finally found him.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58At first, it appears that no-one is at home.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- Do you want to see it round the back? - But Kate's persistence pays off
0:26:03 > 0:26:05when a friend of the suspect opens the door.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Yeah. City of London Police. Looking for ...
0:26:10 > 0:26:11Right, is he at work?
0:26:13 > 0:26:17- Can we come in?- Although the occupant claims the suspect doesn't live here,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Kate and Mark want to check for themselves.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Well, there's a lot of male clothes in here.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30With no leads from the homeowner, it's another dead end for the IFED team.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32No. Definitely not up there.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36The main bedroom's got loads of male clothes in it.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38- There's a bedroom there as well. - Yeah.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42- The front room can be used as a bedroom.- Yeah.- But that was...
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Yeah, there was male clothes in the top bedroom.
0:26:45 > 0:26:46Kate heads back to the car
0:26:46 > 0:26:49and finally receives the call she's been waiting for.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Oh, yes, I am. Where are you?
0:26:58 > 0:27:02All right, OK, I'll speak to you in half an hour. He's just phoned me.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05- Has he?- Yeah.- Oh.- "I believe you're looking for me." Yes. "What's it regarding?
0:27:05 > 0:27:10Give me half an hour, I'll phone you back and meet you." Where are you? "I'm not telling you that, am I?"
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Kate and Mark think the suspect is buying time
0:27:12 > 0:27:15so he can get legal advice before coming into the station.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19He's going to want to meet at the nick, I would hazard a guess,
0:27:19 > 0:27:20but he's going to get lifted, isn't he?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23He's probably going to get a brief sorted, isn't he?
0:27:23 > 0:27:25- Yeah.- And he'll call back, or he's brief will call back.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28So it's very frustrating, but when you've got somebody on the other end
0:27:28 > 0:27:31of the phone and the number hasn't shown up he's calling from,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34it's a bit difficult to sort of say, "Right, you're here, we'll come and get you",
0:27:34 > 0:27:38because he won't tell us. That's the game we play.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43It's been a tough morning but the best things come to those that wait,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46and finally Kate gets some good news.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49The suspect's solicitor has just phoned me and our suspect is making
0:27:49 > 0:27:51his way to the police station as we speak,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53so once he arrives we'll arrest him,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56get him booked into custody and then we'll interview him.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59But he is having a solicitor, so he is on his way.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02So we've got our man, eventually.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04The case is still under investigation.