0:00:02 > 0:00:06Insurance fraud in the UK has hit epidemic levels.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09It's costing us over £2 billion every year.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11That's almost £6 million every day.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Deliberate crashes, bogus personal injuries,
0:00:16 > 0:00:20even phantom pets, the fraudsters are risking more
0:00:20 > 0:00:23and more to make a quick killing and every year
0:00:23 > 0:00:26it's adding over £50 to YOUR insurance bill.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32But insurers are fighting back, exposing 15 fake claims every hour.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36Armed with covert surveillance systems...
0:00:36 > 0:00:38That's the subject out the vehicle.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40..sophisticated data analysis techniques
0:00:40 > 0:00:45and a highly skilled, dedicated police unit...
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 > 0:00:51Just don't lie to us.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55All those conmen, scammers and cheats on the fiddle are now caught
0:00:55 > 0:00:58in the act on Claimed And Shamed.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07Coming up...
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Surveillance footage scuppers an HGV driver's
0:01:10 > 0:01:12claim for a truckload of compensation...
0:01:12 > 0:01:13Without the surveillance,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15we would have faced a claim into the many
0:01:15 > 0:01:17hundreds of thousands of pounds,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19and so it would have provided Mr Doyle with
0:01:19 > 0:01:20a lottery win in compensation.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24..a bone-crunching fall...
0:01:24 > 0:01:27You can feel every single hit as he's falling down the stairs.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29It was pretty harrowing to watch.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34..and door-to-door enquiries IFED style.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36It's the police, could you open up?
0:01:36 > 0:01:37We will put the door in.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46When it comes to catching someone out,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49there's nothing like a bit of damming video evidence,
0:01:49 > 0:01:54which is exactly what proved to be the undoing of HGV driver Lee Doyle
0:01:54 > 0:01:57after he grossly exaggerated a personal injury claim.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Mr Doyle alleged that his accident happened
0:02:00 > 0:02:03when he was walking across his employer's yard and tripped over
0:02:03 > 0:02:06and fell, banged his lower back on a raised kerbstone.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Injuries to the spine can be very serious and in severe cases
0:02:11 > 0:02:14can leave victims with numerous ongoing problems.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17When the insurance company received Lee Doyle's claim,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21it appeared that he was suffering from every back complaint in the book.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24The injuries he was left with was a very stiff lower back, he had
0:02:24 > 0:02:29sciatic-type symptoms with dead legs that meant he couldn't walk very far.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Whenever he did walk, he had to use a walking stick, that he
0:02:31 > 0:02:36couldn't bend or lift or carry, and in particular, he couldn't sit still
0:02:36 > 0:02:40for very long periods which obviously affected his job as an HGV driver.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44With a list of complaints as long as that, you'd think that
0:02:44 > 0:02:48the doctor would be able to diagnose the problem in a heartbeat,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52but the specialist who examined Mr Doyle was left scratching his head.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Unfortunately for Mr Doyle, the orthopaedic surgeon couldn't find any
0:02:56 > 0:03:00reason for the nature of the injuries that he said he was suffering from
0:03:00 > 0:03:04and because of that, he suggested referral onto a pain management consultant.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Unsurprisingly, the combination of Lee Doyle's supposed symptoms
0:03:08 > 0:03:12and an orthopaedic consultant that couldn't find anything wrong
0:03:12 > 0:03:16with him led the insurance company to suspect foul play
0:03:16 > 0:03:20so they referred the case to their solicitors, BLM.
0:03:20 > 0:03:21We had real concerns about Mr Doyle's claim,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23simply because it didn't add up.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26For somebody who'd had such a straightforward
0:03:26 > 0:03:28accident of tripping and falling,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Mr Doyle said he was significantly disabled, for example,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33he couldn't walk more than 25 yards,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35he needed a walking stick to get about
0:03:35 > 0:03:38and when his own expert couldn't find an explanation for the symptoms
0:03:38 > 0:03:43he was describing, we thought it merited further investigation.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45With Lee Doyle claiming his injuries were
0:03:45 > 0:03:49so severe he could no longer continue working as a lorry driver,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53he wanted his employer's insurers to cough up some cash.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57He calculated his loss of earnings at £55,000.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59There were other incidental losses,
0:03:59 > 0:04:04additional help that he'd had around the home for DIY and gardening.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06The important factor for us
0:04:06 > 0:04:09was that Mr Doyle said he would find it impossible to go back to his
0:04:09 > 0:04:12earlier job and so his future loss of earnings could well have
0:04:12 > 0:04:15been into the hundreds of thousands of pounds.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19But his claim for lost income was just the beginning as Lee Doyle
0:04:19 > 0:04:22had a list of costs that was even longer than his string of injuries,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26taking the total claim to around half a million pounds.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30He also claimed for travel expenses to various medical appointments,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33and strangely even to his nan's house because he said that he
0:04:33 > 0:04:37couldn't shower at home so had to go to her house to shower.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39He claimed for the additional care
0:04:39 > 0:04:42and assistance that his partner had provided him in getting him
0:04:42 > 0:04:45up out of bed in the morning and helping him dress in the morning.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49He'd claimed for additional help that he'd had looking after his fish.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Mr Doyle's case was rather extreme in that there were some very
0:04:53 > 0:04:55strange items of claim.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Faced with a potentially huge payout
0:04:57 > 0:05:01but still not convinced that this was a legitimate claim,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04BLM arranged for Mr Doyle to see a pain management consultant
0:05:04 > 0:05:07and a neurologist but that's not all they did.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Because of the concerns that we had about the claim generally,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13we arranged for covert surveillance to be undertaken.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16The difficulty with that is that sometimes the surveillance
0:05:16 > 0:05:19operatives can be sitting there and not seeing anything at all,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22and so because we'd arranged medical appointments,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26we knew where Mr Doyle would be on a particular day at a particular time.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30With the injuries that Lee Doyle was claiming to be suffering from,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33BLM were expecting the footage to show a man unsteady on his feet
0:05:33 > 0:05:37and who needed help to perform even the most basic movements.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40And as he arrived for and left his medical appointments,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43that's precisely what they did see.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Case closed? Not quite.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Some of the surveillance we obtained of Mr Doyle you wouldn't
0:05:48 > 0:05:50believe that it was the same person
0:05:50 > 0:05:52you read about in the medical reports.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54We were able to watch him
0:05:54 > 0:05:55going into a medical assessment,
0:05:55 > 0:06:01walking in a very disabled manner with a walking stick, presenting himself in chronic pain.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04When we eventually got the medical report back,
0:06:04 > 0:06:09he had told the expert that he had quite serious physical difficulties.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13What we saw Mr Doyle do later in the day was simply amazing.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17What he'd said on paper, where he couldn't walk for more
0:06:17 > 0:06:19than 25 yards without a walking stick.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22We were able to disprove that, showing that he was
0:06:22 > 0:06:25walking his dog without any difficulty for over an hour.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27He said that he couldn't bend at the waist
0:06:27 > 0:06:30and lift things off the floor, but surveillance footage
0:06:30 > 0:06:33showed that he was lifting without any real difficulty at all.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37But the most shocking footage was captured just four hours
0:06:37 > 0:06:40after Doyle had hobbled his way into a medical examination.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44In it we see him hoisting heavy concrete slabs above his head
0:06:44 > 0:06:45onto a garage roof.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Steady on now, Lee. Mind your back, son.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53His evidence was that he couldn't drive, yet he was able to
0:06:53 > 0:06:57drive his own 4x4 vehicle without any apparent discomfort at all.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01So, everything that we were being told simply wasn't borne out
0:07:01 > 0:07:04by the surveillance footage that we were presented with.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08The video evidence proved beyond doubt that Lee Doyle was
0:07:08 > 0:07:10grossly over-exaggerating his claim,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12happy to play the role of the weak
0:07:12 > 0:07:15and wounded in order to receive a bumper payout.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18But it was a performance that BLM weren't buying.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Once we had collated all the surveillance evidence
0:07:20 > 0:07:24and we'd had the opportunity of having Mr Doyle examined
0:07:24 > 0:07:29by our experts, we were waiting for court proceedings to be issued.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32That was really the last chance that Mr Doyle had to come clean.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35We didn't know whether he would be honest in his presentation
0:07:35 > 0:07:39and say that he has tried to work, that he does have good days or
0:07:39 > 0:07:42bad days, that he is capable of doing SOME physical activity.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46When proceedings were eventually issued, he maintained that he was
0:07:46 > 0:07:48chronically disabled, that he hadn't worked
0:07:48 > 0:07:50since the date of the accident,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54it was unlikely he was ever going to be able to go back to his former job,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and the claim that he presented in financial terms was very
0:07:57 > 0:08:00significant - into the hundreds of thousands of pounds.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Our only response to that had to be that we disclosed
0:08:03 > 0:08:07all of our medical evidence and all of our surveillance evidence
0:08:07 > 0:08:09and pointed out that he'd been caught out.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10Since his accident,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Mr Doyle had claimed around £25,000 in disability benefits.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18So, upon hearing about the exaggeration of his claim,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21the Department of Work and Pensions had a few questions of their own.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24A separate investigation was undertaken by
0:08:24 > 0:08:27the Department of Work and Pensions through their fraud unit.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30We understand that Mr Doyle's benefits were stopped
0:08:30 > 0:08:32immediately when the investigation was started.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Doyle was ordered to repay almost £25,000 but bogus disability
0:08:36 > 0:08:41benefits weren't the only thing he had taken away from him.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46We understand that he had tried to tender his resignation.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50We were informed by the employer that his resignation wasn't accepted
0:08:50 > 0:08:55and so we understand that a process of gross misconduct was pursued
0:08:55 > 0:08:57and that eventually Mr Doyle was dismissed.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01BLM's investigations had scuppered what could have been
0:09:01 > 0:09:04a fraudulent claim in the region of half a million pounds.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Without the surveillance,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08we think we would have faced a claim into the many
0:09:08 > 0:09:11hundreds of thousands of pounds, and so it would have provided
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Mr Doyle with a lottery win in compensation.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19Instead, Lee Doyle was offered, and accepted, a £10,000 settlement
0:09:19 > 0:09:22which is what BLM felt was the honest portion of his claim.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26But that didn't even cover all of his legal costs.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28He was now out of pocket and unemployed.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31However, if this case had been resolved just a year later,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34then things could've ended much more seriously.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37I think Mr Doyle is a very fortunate man for getting
0:09:37 > 0:09:39the level of compensation that we offered.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43Times have changed, thankfully, since Mr Doyle put his claim in and
0:09:43 > 0:09:48the way of the law now, we wouldn't actually be making any offers at all.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52In fact, we'd be looking to pursue Mr Doyle for contempt of court
0:09:52 > 0:09:54which may lead to a prison term.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Still to come, a nasty tumble
0:10:01 > 0:10:03but did he slip, or did he trip?
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Obviously it's very sad when someone gets hurt
0:10:06 > 0:10:09but is he entitled to make a claim?
0:10:09 > 0:10:12And IFED treat another suspected fraudster to
0:10:12 > 0:10:14one of their special wake-up calls.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Hi. Police, open up!
0:10:16 > 0:10:19What they're going to do is they're going to come round with
0:10:19 > 0:10:20the entry team and gain entry that way.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Not the way we like to do it but he's leaving us no option.
0:10:29 > 0:10:30In January 2012,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34the police joined the fight against insurance fraud by forming an
0:10:34 > 0:10:36elite squad known as IFED,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43IFED is a dedicated team that deals with insurance fraud.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Whatever insurance policy there is out there, we investigate it.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51There is a dedicated 40-strong unit that works 24/7
0:10:51 > 0:10:53hunting down insurance fraudsters.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56IFED has made over 450 arrests
0:10:56 > 0:11:00and saved millions of pounds in fraudulent insurance claims,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03money which ultimately goes back in our pockets.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06From now on, fraudsters need to watch their backs.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08We are out there in numbers.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11You might get a nasty knock on your door in the morning if you
0:11:11 > 0:11:12commit this type of fraud.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Police! Don't move! Stay where you are!
0:11:17 > 0:11:21With almost £400 million a year being lost through car insurance fraud,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25it's something that the officers of IFED have found themselves
0:11:25 > 0:11:27dealing with on a regular basis
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and one of the biggest problems they encounter are crashes that
0:11:30 > 0:11:34have been instigated with the sole intention of making money.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38Crash for cash involves staged or induced accidents.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43It's generally organised by people that know each other and a typical
0:11:43 > 0:11:46example would be what's known as a "slam on"
0:11:46 > 0:11:49where a vehicle will slam its breaks on with the sole
0:11:49 > 0:11:52purpose of causing the vehicle behind to drive into it
0:11:52 > 0:11:55and then make a claim as a result of that accident.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00During their first year of operation,
0:12:00 > 0:12:05IFED dealt with a crash for cash case which hit the headlines.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08This case involves two families from the Birkenhead area in Liverpool
0:12:08 > 0:12:11who reported that they were involved
0:12:11 > 0:12:15in a road accident in the Wirral area in March 2011.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18It all seems fairly standard so far. So what was the problem?
0:12:18 > 0:12:23The claim involved a road accident at a set of traffic lights where
0:12:23 > 0:12:26a BMW and a Rover were said to be in a collision.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Within these two vehicles were seven occupants that belonged to two
0:12:30 > 0:12:33separate families and as a result of the accident,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36all members then submitted claims for personal injury,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39damage to the vehicles and vehicle recovery costs
0:12:39 > 0:12:43and all told, those claims totalled £77,000.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45At first glance,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48this was a classic shunt between two cars at the lights,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51but as the insurance company began to process the claims,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54it became clear that this was anything but an ordinary accident.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58It wasn't so much the value of the claim that raised the alarm,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01it was the inconsistency in some of the detail
0:13:01 > 0:13:05provided by the claimants to the insurers that caused them to make
0:13:05 > 0:13:09a referral to IFED for further investigation.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12By the time the case was handed over to IFED,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16forensic engineers had established that the damage to the cars
0:13:16 > 0:13:19didn't match up to the version of events on the claim form.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21And as if that wasn't dodgy enough,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23the insurance company had also discovered that
0:13:23 > 0:13:26members of the two families already knew each other
0:13:26 > 0:13:29and were friends on a social networking site.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34This was clearly pre-planned and organised on a large scale.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39The value of the claims is £77,000 so that shows the level of planning
0:13:39 > 0:13:41and work that went into this crime.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45After some investigations of their own, it wasn't
0:13:45 > 0:13:47long before IFED made their move.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53IFED sent a team of detectives up to the Birkenhead area,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56affected the arrest of all seven suspects.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57They were all charged
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and sent to court where they were convicted of fraud offences,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04so the main offenders, Kenneth Nash and Darren Gallimore,
0:14:04 > 0:14:08both received custodial sentences, 12 months each in prison.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Nash, Gallimore and their accomplices thought
0:14:13 > 0:14:16they could pull the wool over the insurance company's eyes
0:14:16 > 0:14:19and pocket a small fortune in the process.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21But they were sorely mistaken.
0:14:21 > 0:14:22It should send out the message
0:14:22 > 0:14:24if you don't want to get arrested,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27if you don't want to go to prison, if you don't want to get
0:14:27 > 0:14:32a criminal record, then don't commit insurance fraud.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Crash for cash doesn't just affect insurance companies though.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39One tactic that fraudsters use is to hire cars, crash them,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41and then cash in on personal injury claims.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Someone who knows, all too well, what impact this type
0:14:45 > 0:14:50of crime can have is Tony Moore, who owns and runs a car rental company.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53The effect on these cash for crash accidents to our company,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57from a financial point of view, are immense!
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Obviously it just pumps up the insurance.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Pumping up insurance means we have to put our prices up,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05which obviously affects our business.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Two years ago, we had over £200,000 worth of claims.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13That obviously has a knock-on effect on our premium the following year.
0:15:13 > 0:15:14It's immense.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Tony has first-hand experience of how
0:15:17 > 0:15:20a scam like crash for cash can hit a business' books.
0:15:20 > 0:15:21But as an employer,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24he also knows there's a greater cost to these crimes.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Additionally to that, if ever the insurance companies turn round
0:15:28 > 0:15:32and say, "Look, we're not insuring you," then we shut the doors
0:15:32 > 0:15:37and we all go home and I've got 46 people made redundant,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41all caused by somebody trying to rip you off, cash for crash.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45For now, Tony's business is managing to survive
0:15:45 > 0:15:49but the threat of crash for cash is a serious concern.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54It's not as people think a victimless, "it's just money."
0:15:54 > 0:15:56It isn't money, it's people's lives.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59With the likes of IFED clamping down and fighting
0:15:59 > 0:16:02back against those who see car insurance as a way to make
0:16:02 > 0:16:05a fast buck, Tony has some words of warning.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10The message to those people out there that want to do this is
0:16:10 > 0:16:13if we get a sniff of it, we'll go all the way to try and prove it.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17And if we prove it, we won't just say "No, we're not paying you,"
0:16:17 > 0:16:21we will push and push and push for a prosecution.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24And the courts are starting to take it seriously now
0:16:24 > 0:16:27and we're talking now incarceration.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32As Tony rightly says, this is now a crime with serious consequences.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34The good news is that the likes of you
0:16:34 > 0:16:38and I are starting to benefit from the work of units like IFED, because
0:16:38 > 0:16:42in 2013, the money saved from crash for cash scams reduced
0:16:42 > 0:16:45car insurance premiums by 12%.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49Although as far as IFED's concerned, they're only just getting started.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53The Insurance Fraud Bureau estimates that the cost to the insurance
0:16:53 > 0:16:58industry is £392 million per year from crash for cash scams.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01So I mean that's clearly a huge amount of money
0:17:01 > 0:17:05and it is an area that we're putting a lot of resources into to tackle it
0:17:05 > 0:17:08and I'd like to think that with the results that we're getting
0:17:08 > 0:17:10and the impact we're making, that we're
0:17:10 > 0:17:13well on our way to targeting this type of criminality
0:17:13 > 0:17:16and in the future, I'd like to think it will drop.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Just like lightening, you never know when disaster might strike,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28but thanks to the boom of personal injury claims,
0:17:28 > 0:17:33some accidents can have a silver lining in the form of a cash payout.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36In 2013, public transport operator First Group dealt with
0:17:36 > 0:17:39a claim from a gentleman who was making his way down the stairs
0:17:39 > 0:17:42at one of their train stations when, suddenly,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44everything went horribly wrong.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51When you come across claims like this,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54the first thing you normally think of when you see the injury is
0:17:54 > 0:17:58"That's going to hurt," and seeing the footage just hammers that home.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01It's never nice to see anyone get injured in any way
0:18:01 > 0:18:04and although you don't know what injuries he's sustained,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07you can feel every single hit as he's falling down the stairs.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11It's not nice and I do feel sorry for the gentleman concerned.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Thankfully, there were a number of people on hand to help
0:18:15 > 0:18:19the man out, although it was later discovered that the fall was
0:18:19 > 0:18:22every bit as bad as it looked.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25The injuries sustained were quite nasty.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28He's got some minor bruising, but his main injury is actually
0:18:28 > 0:18:31a fracture to his knee, and that has got to hurt.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33It goes into the knee joint.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35It's very painful to walk on after
0:18:35 > 0:18:39but at the time, he must have been in excruciating pain.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Even though it was a genuine accident, it wasn't
0:18:42 > 0:18:46long before First Group received a claim from the man's solicitors.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48This gentleman alleged that he'd slipped
0:18:48 > 0:18:52when he'd got to the halfway point coming down the stairs.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55People don't just tend to slip on nothing, so he's assuming that
0:18:55 > 0:19:00therefore it was our fault, we caused him to fall down the stairs therefore
0:19:00 > 0:19:03he's entitled to compensation for his rather nasty injuries.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07If First Group were at fault, then the kind of payout that
0:19:07 > 0:19:10the man could have been looking at for injuries as severe as this
0:19:10 > 0:19:13certainly wasn't an amount to be sniffed at.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17Overall, this claim was probably worth in the region of £50,000 for his compensation
0:19:17 > 0:19:20for his injuries, any potential loss of earnings claim,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22and the legal fees that would have ensued.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25So, we have an accident that definitely happened,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27serious injuries that were sustained
0:19:27 > 0:19:30and a claim for around £50,000 compensation.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34It all sounds fairly standard
0:19:34 > 0:19:37but before companies like First Group get out the cheque book,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40they want to be certain that the blame lies with them first.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44And that's where CCTV can be an invaluable source of evidence.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47I actually don't think that people realise just how much CCTV
0:19:47 > 0:19:51footage there is at a railway station, and they give very good
0:19:51 > 0:19:54coverage of the area. People just don't even know they're there.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02In this case, there was a CCTV camera in prime position at the top of the stairs,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05so First Group had a bird's-eye view of exactly what happened.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07When we receive claims like this,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10what we're going to look at when we view the footage is
0:20:10 > 0:20:13did anyone else have a particular problem walking along that
0:20:13 > 0:20:14passage or stairways?
0:20:14 > 0:20:17What ideally you're looking for is people walking down
0:20:17 > 0:20:20with no problems at all which would suggest there wasn't a slip hazard
0:20:20 > 0:20:23because we just don't know what this gentleman had slipped on.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27But when First Group viewed the footage, there didn't appear
0:20:27 > 0:20:30to be any evidence of a slipping hazard, or indeed any hazard at all.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34One of the key points you'll notice from the actual CCTV evidence
0:20:34 > 0:20:39is the small child actually joyfully skipping down the stairs with
0:20:39 > 0:20:40no real problems at all,
0:20:40 > 0:20:45even stepping on the section where the gentleman alleged he slipped.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Why, then, is this chap alleging that he's slipped on a step
0:20:48 > 0:20:51that was previously OK for the people that preceded him?
0:20:51 > 0:20:55It's clear there was no slipping hazard on those steps, otherwise
0:20:55 > 0:20:59that small child, who had taken a jump at it, would have gone flying.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03So, if the man hadn't slipped like he claimed,
0:21:03 > 0:21:05then what really did happen?
0:21:05 > 0:21:09He put his left foot down, planted that quite normally.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12As he goes to step forward with this right foot,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14it gives way beneath him.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16This then causes him to stumble forward.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19At the same time, in an unfortunate series of events, his trailing foot
0:21:19 > 0:21:24then catches the bag he's carrying which flips him over and he virtually
0:21:24 > 0:21:26somersaults down the stairs,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29striking probably every single step on the way down and
0:21:29 > 0:21:30when I watched the footage,
0:21:30 > 0:21:35I did actually say, "Ouch," to myself every time he hit the step.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37It was pretty harrowing to watch.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41The severity of the fall had never been in doubt,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45but with no evidence to suggest that any blame lay with First Group,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49they didn't feel that the man was entitled to any compensation.
0:21:49 > 0:21:50Once we reviewed the footage
0:21:50 > 0:21:54and realised that what the gentleman was saying was not actually true,
0:21:54 > 0:21:59we sent off the details of the CCTV to his solicitors
0:21:59 > 0:22:02and told them that we just weren't going to pay this claim out.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06They subsequently closed their file and we've not heard from them since.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Were it not for the CCTV footage,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11this chap could have walked, or rather limped, all the way
0:22:11 > 0:22:15to the bank by claiming there was a slipping hazard that never existed.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17But situations like this are nothing new
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and companies like First Group are finding themselves dealing
0:22:20 > 0:22:24with more and more people looking to pocket some easy money.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27I think the practice, from a legal point of view, it has become
0:22:27 > 0:22:30so easy to put a claim in on behalf of the person
0:22:30 > 0:22:33on the off-chance that they will receive a payout,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37does encourage some people to submit claims they otherwise wouldn't.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Sometimes people know they've had an accident and it's no-one's fault
0:22:41 > 0:22:44but they're encouraged to try and make a claim for it anyway.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Although this case was dropped with no further action,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50there have been many instances where fraudulent claimers have been
0:22:50 > 0:22:53prosecuted and even sent to prison
0:22:53 > 0:22:56which begs the question - is it really worth it?
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Obviously it's very sad when someone gets hurt,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02but is he entitled to make a claim?
0:23:02 > 0:23:04I think people are very hung up on the fact that
0:23:04 > 0:23:07if something happens to them, they're entitled to make
0:23:07 > 0:23:11a claim from someone and accidents don't just happen. Well, they do.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Not everything that happens to you, you can blame someone for.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Sometimes it's just an accident.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23It's early morning
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and two teams of IFED officers have headed up north to carry out
0:23:26 > 0:23:29a dual raid in a suspected case of car insurance fraud.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34DC Andy Jackson is the officer in charge of one of the units.
0:23:35 > 0:23:41What we plan to do today is we've got two warrants to attend
0:23:41 > 0:23:45simultaneously two addresses and what they've done is they've
0:23:45 > 0:23:48both submitted claims for theft from their vehicles.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52The value of the thefts is in the region of £16,000.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55It's believed that they've done it on a number of occasions.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58The suspected fraud is thought to have used quotes that were
0:23:58 > 0:24:00doctored to make them look like receipts,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04so IFED have got a pretty good idea of what they need to find today.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09We'll be looking for material which will assist the investigation.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11We'll be looking at probably computer evidence -
0:24:11 > 0:24:14if there's a suggestion that they've altered this documentation.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17They may very well have scanned that onto a computer.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Today, IFED are being assisted by local police units, so the
0:24:22 > 0:24:26first stop is the local station for a briefing and to get kitted up.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28You just never know who you're dealing with,
0:24:28 > 0:24:33people's reactions sometimes when they, you know, get arrested,
0:24:33 > 0:24:37or police turn up at the address, you know, someone...
0:24:37 > 0:24:40People just react in different ways.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43So, we're just going to make our way there now and see how we get on.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49With everything set, the teams roll out.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54Hello, Mick, look, we're literally going to be here in about a minute.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59Do you want us to go straight in? We'll go straight to the house.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Cheers. All right, bye, mate, bye.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06After a final phone call with the other IFED team,
0:25:06 > 0:25:07Andy and the boys go in.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Hello? City Police, open up!
0:25:13 > 0:25:17It's not unusual for people wanted by IFED to make a run for it.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21So, just in case today's suspect decides to do
0:25:21 > 0:25:24the old back-door shuffle, local officers cover the exits
0:25:24 > 0:25:28although it looks as if the team may be too late.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31It's the police. Can you open up? We will put the door in.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Word has come through that the suspect at the other raid has been arrested.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39But no-one is able to get hold of the elusive home owner who lives here.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44Although with crucial evidence to find, Andy and the team aren't leaving without it.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Right, it looks like what they're going to do is they're
0:25:46 > 0:25:49going to come round with the entry team and we'll gain entry that way.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53Not the way we like to do it but he's leaving us no option this time.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55We've tried all numbers and all other means to
0:25:55 > 0:25:59get in touch with him, but we've been unsuccessful.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02With the front door just moments away from being
0:26:02 > 0:26:05taken off its hinges, the suspect returns the team's phone call.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Hello? Yes, it's DC Andy Jackson from City of London Police.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12I understand you're on your way back to this address? Excellent, OK.
0:26:12 > 0:26:13All right. How far are you away?
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Lovely, all right, we'll see you when you get here
0:26:16 > 0:26:17and we'll explain all.
0:26:17 > 0:26:18Thank you, bye.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22All right, he's on his way. He's five minutes away.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Someone's just pulled up so...
0:26:24 > 0:26:28And sure enough, just a few minutes later, IFED get their man.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30You all right? What we'll do is remove the car,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33if you can park your van up on the drive and then what we'll do,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36we'll get you to open up, we'll go in, and we'll explain all.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38The cameras remain outside the property...
0:26:38 > 0:26:42What I'm going to do now is I'm going to be arresting
0:26:42 > 0:26:46you on suspicion of fraud by false representation into those claims.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49All right? So, for that, you do not have to say anything,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51but it may harm your defence if you do not mention
0:26:51 > 0:26:54when questioned something which you may later rely on in court.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Anything you do say may be given in evidence.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01..although it isn't long before the suspect is brought out
0:27:01 > 0:27:03and taken away for questioning.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05He was a bit surprised to see us here,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09but he's been co-operative and he's been compliant
0:27:09 > 0:27:12and he's willing to assist us in our enquiries.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19With the formalities out of the way, the search can begin.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20Almost half an hour later,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Andy and the team emerge from the property having seized
0:27:23 > 0:27:25a number of documents, mobile phones,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29and a laptop which may contain crucial evidence.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30Laptop's always handy
0:27:30 > 0:27:34because computers can be used to alter documentation.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Documentation can be scanned into them
0:27:37 > 0:27:41or indeed documentation can be created on them.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Due to the fact that he has had access to it, this is
0:27:45 > 0:27:48something we can take back to London and review at a later date.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51For Andy and the team, the work has only just begun.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54But after a shaky start, things are looking up.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57It's been a good day in the fact that what
0:27:57 > 0:27:59we needed to do today has been achieved.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Our objectives have been achieved. Job done.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06The suspects were later interviewed under caution and the case is
0:28:06 > 0:28:08still under investigation.