0:00:02 > 0:00:05Insurance fraud in the UK has hit epidemic levels.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08It's costing us over £1.3 billion every year.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11That's almost £3.6 million every day.
0:00:13 > 0:00:18Deliberate 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 > 0:00:26and every year, it's adding over £50 to your insurance bill.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32But insurers are fighting back, exposing 14 fake claims every hour.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Armed with covert surveillance systems...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38That's the subject out of the vehicle.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40..sophisticated data analysis techniques...
0:00:43 > 0:00:45..and a number of highly skilled police units...
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Police, don't move, stay where you are.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51- ..they're catching the criminals red-handed.- Just don't lie to us.
0:00:51 > 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.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Badly forged documents mean a life insurance fraudster
0:01:10 > 0:01:12is caught red-handed.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15And I just thought it's, you know, bang to rights,
0:01:15 > 0:01:18his fingerprints on his cremation certificate.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20A video posted online
0:01:20 > 0:01:23cracks the case of a fake claim against Newcastle City Council.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Yeah, he WAS seriously injured and so he was off work.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28That was through no fault of the local council.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30That was through his own stupidity.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33And a personal injury claim goes up in smoke.
0:01:33 > 0:01:39He gave the impression that he was generally pretty squeaky-clean.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43But, in fact, the social networking evidence that we had
0:01:43 > 0:01:45showed that he lived a different life altogether.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55'..please contact the information' desk.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56For most people,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59the worst thing that might happen on a family holiday
0:01:59 > 0:02:01is missing luggage, sunburn
0:02:01 > 0:02:03or overindulging on the all-you-can-eat buffet.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07But for the Sanchez family from Surrey,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09the unthinkable happened.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12On a family break to Hugo Sanchez's home country of Ecuador,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14he suffered a fatal heart attack.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20His devastated wife flew back to the UK to make arrangements.
0:02:20 > 0:02:26No simple task, as Mr Sanchez had created a web of complex finances.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30These were untangled by DC Jacqui Bartlett from Thames Valley Police.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33He'd taken out a number of life insurance policies
0:02:33 > 0:02:35prior to his death.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38From his employer, HMV, he was entitled,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42or his family were entitled to a death benefit of £112,000.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46He'd taken out a policy for £500,000 with Legal & General.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51With Liverpool Victoria, he'd taken out a policy for £117,000.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53And there were numerous other small loans
0:02:53 > 0:02:55that had been taken out before his death.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00The grand total of the money was £847,000.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05Mrs Sanchez stood to benefit from an astronomical amount of money
0:03:05 > 0:03:07and the claim was finely scrutinised.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10The insurers who looked into the claim
0:03:10 > 0:03:12were suspicious from the outset
0:03:12 > 0:03:15because of the large amount of life insurance, or assurance,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18that was taken out prior to his death in 2004.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22So, that was a red flag warning to them that this could be suspicious.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24With hindsight,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Hugo Sanchez's behaviour at work before he left rang alarm bells.
0:03:28 > 0:03:29HMV understood
0:03:29 > 0:03:32that he was going on holiday to Ecuador to see his family.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36And it was only retrospectively when they got the report that he'd died
0:03:36 > 0:03:39that they realised his desk had been cleared
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and all his family photos had been taken.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44And they thought, "Mm, that's a bit strange."
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Was this a grave mistake
0:03:46 > 0:03:49or was it a sign that all was not as it appeared?
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Soon afterwards, another wrong note was struck.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56One of Mr Sanchez's friends had been left with a discount card
0:03:56 > 0:03:58and he decided to use it to buy some Elvis CDs,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00and he was stopped by security
0:04:00 > 0:04:04who were questioning why he was using a dead man's discount card.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06And he said, "Well, he's not dead.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08"He left it with me, I have his permission."
0:04:08 > 0:04:11And he went on to phone Mr Sanchez and the call connected,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14but then Mr Sanchez put the phone down.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17It was now a case of suspicious minds.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18Serious doubts were creeping in
0:04:18 > 0:04:21about whether Hugo Sanchez had actually died
0:04:21 > 0:04:24and insurers appointed an investigator.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28The findings of the report were that they believed him to be alive
0:04:28 > 0:04:32and this was confirmed by Mr Sanchez's wife's family
0:04:32 > 0:04:35who lived in the UK, because they had not been...
0:04:35 > 0:04:39They were not part of the plot. They had not been told that he was dead.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42They said, "No, he's alive, they've emigrated to Costa Rica."
0:04:42 > 0:04:44It was now clear that he hadn't passed on.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47He was just trying to pass the buck.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Mr Sanchez's supposed death was kept secret from his friends and family.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Only his employers and insurers had been informed
0:04:54 > 0:04:56and they weren't happy.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00HMV had written to the family in Costa Rica
0:05:00 > 0:05:03asking for the money back and they'd never got a response.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07So, after making enquiries with the Ecuadorian consulate
0:05:07 > 0:05:11and obtaining some information, they reported it to Thames Valley Police.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14From there, the case landed on Jacqui's desk.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Her first move was to establish the true sequence
0:05:17 > 0:05:18of events and locations.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Hugo Sanchez had attempted to cover his tracks
0:05:21 > 0:05:23by moving from country to country.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28He'd died, apparently, in Ecuador,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30but the family had emigrated to Costa Rica.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34But then from Costa Rica, they'd gone to Australia.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39He was down under, rather than six feet under.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Jacqui also focused on the documentation that had been provided
0:05:42 > 0:05:44to support the claim.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48The cremation certificate that we got from Mrs Sanchez's solicitors
0:05:48 > 0:05:53was put in for forensic testing and revealed Mr Sanchez's fingerprint.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I presumed the system in Ecuador was the same as ours,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00that the cremation certificate is issued after the cremation.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02So, it would be impossible for him
0:06:02 > 0:06:05to have any rational explanation for a fingerprint on it.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08And I just thought it's, you know, bang to rights,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11his fingerprints on his cremation certificate.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Despite the schoolboy error,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16this was much more than an opportunistic fraud.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Jacqui discovered that Hugo Sanchez had more than one identity.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23He had also used his brother Alfredo's name.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27Mr and Mrs Sanchez had got married in Ecuador
0:06:27 > 0:06:30and he used his brother's name to marry his wife.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34And then when he came to the UK, he came here as Alfredo Sanchez
0:06:34 > 0:06:36and got a British passport in that name.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40But then a couple of years later, he changed his name by deed poll
0:06:40 > 0:06:44and got a passport in the name of Hugo Jose Sanchez
0:06:44 > 0:06:49and then married his wife again, her using her maiden name, in the UK.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53The dual identity was very useful, because he died as Alfredo Sanchez
0:06:53 > 0:06:57and that passport was provided by his wife to the insurance companies.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00And then he went off to live in Australia
0:07:00 > 0:07:02using the name Hugo Sanchez.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03By this stage,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Jacqui had collected enough evidence to move in on the undead fraudster.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Her chance came when there was a family wedding in the UK
0:07:11 > 0:07:15and Mrs Sanchez made the journey over to attend.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16I don't know why she did that.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21Maybe they thought, "Well, nothing's happened. I'll come back.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23"It's been a couple of years, it'll all be fine."
0:07:23 > 0:07:27But it wasn't fine, because she was detained at Heathrow Airport.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30And then she was transported back to Thames Valley Police
0:07:30 > 0:07:33where myself and my sergeant interviewed her.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37If I hadn't already planned the interview and had it all ready,
0:07:37 > 0:07:38I'd have been, "Uh!"
0:07:38 > 0:07:41because there was so much information to put to her.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44But Jacqui had done her homework and it paid off.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46She accepted her husband was alive
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and then when we talked about the insurance claims,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51she just started to answer, "No comment."
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Mr Sanchez, meanwhile, was in Australia with the family,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and that was the next stage, to apply for his extradition.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01With the assistance of the Australian authorities,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03eventually, he was brought back to the UK
0:08:03 > 0:08:06to face the music in a court of law.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Mr Sanchez pleaded guilty to all 12 charges
0:08:09 > 0:08:12and then he was sentenced to five years.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Mrs Sanchez was sentenced to two years.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Sanchez had been caught red-handed.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20And the former record company employee
0:08:20 > 0:08:23was now doing the jailhouse rock.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25MUSIC: Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37In January 2012, the police joined the fight against insurance fraud
0:08:37 > 0:08:40by forming an elite squad known as IFED -
0:08:40 > 0:08:42the insurance fraud enforcement department.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46IFED deal with a wide variety of insurance fraud offences,
0:08:46 > 0:08:52from serious crash for cash to household fraudulent claims.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56We are responsible for bringing insurance fraudsters to justice.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59They've made over 660 arrests
0:08:59 > 0:09:02and have saved millions of pounds in fraudulent insurance claims.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Money which, ultimately, goes back into our pockets.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08From now on, fraudsters need to watch their backs.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Insurance fraud isn't a victimless crime.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14If you are committing insurance fraud in England and Wales, we'll find you.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Police, don't move, stay where you are.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20And it's not just the insurance industry
0:09:20 > 0:09:22that's working in partnership with IFED.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Councils around the UK are also joining forces
0:09:25 > 0:09:28with the elite police department to crack down on fraud.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Councillor Veronica Dunn is from Newcastle City Council.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36We take out an insurance policy
0:09:36 > 0:09:38to cover us against claims
0:09:38 > 0:09:43for things like personal injury or public liability claims.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47In 2012, floods swept through the North of England,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51seriously affecting Newcastle and the surrounding areas.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Council employees worked hard to deal with the floodwaters
0:09:54 > 0:09:56and make the city safe.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57But soon afterwards,
0:09:57 > 0:10:01a claim for personal injury was submitted by Stephen Robinson.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Scott Clayton from the council's insurer, Zurich,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06provided advice on the case.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Stephen Robinson was walking along the street
0:10:08 > 0:10:12and claimed that he had stepped in a flooded manhole cover
0:10:12 > 0:10:14and injured his ankle.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17It was quite a severe injury that he was claiming for.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20On the surface, his tale of watery woe seemed genuine.
0:10:20 > 0:10:26On that particular day, Newcastle, with other parts of the country,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30did, in fact, sustain severe flooding.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33There was no doubt in the council's mind
0:10:33 > 0:10:37that an injury had been sustained.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40The question was, who was responsible?
0:10:42 > 0:10:44The answer was found by surfing the web.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48The council received a tip-off about a video posted onto social media
0:10:48 > 0:10:51that had made quite a splash, clocking up thousands of views.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56It was passed to the police and viewed by IFED's DC Kate Sibley.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58INDISTINCT SPEECH
0:10:58 > 0:11:03He takes a running leap from the pathway.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Takes a couple of steps and then falls over.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10And, as you can see, he then lifts his left leg out
0:11:10 > 0:11:12and his foot is facing the wrong way.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- I've snapped my ankle. - What did he say again?
0:11:17 > 0:11:23When I saw the video clip, I did feel quite angry.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27It's obvious that, under the circumstances,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30this was not an injury that was caused
0:11:30 > 0:11:33as a result of the council's negligence,
0:11:33 > 0:11:39but was caused directly by Mr Robinson's own actions.
0:11:41 > 0:11:47That's not something that the council-tax-payers in Newcastle
0:11:47 > 0:11:49should be paying for.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53This was a case that we undoubtedly wanted to prosecute,
0:11:53 > 0:11:57because it's local council money, and had we not had this footage
0:11:57 > 0:11:59or established what exactly had happened
0:11:59 > 0:12:02then that money would potentially have been paid out to him.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06The council and IFED were determined to put out a strong message
0:12:06 > 0:12:09that they weren't going to tolerate this kind of fraud.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Still to come, the failed fraudster
0:12:13 > 0:12:16attempts to give DC Kate Sibley the runaround.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19We will get hold of him somehow. I won't give up.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22And a claimant tries to bully his way into a pay-out
0:12:22 > 0:12:24he doesn't deserve.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40These days, social media is everywhere.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Who hasn't been tagged in an embarrassing photo?
0:12:43 > 0:12:45And it's not just friends and family
0:12:45 > 0:12:47who might be following your online activities.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49It's insurers, too.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53In September 2012, insurers AXA
0:12:53 > 0:12:57were presented with a personal injury claim from Daniel Brownfoot.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00He'd been a passenger in a road traffic collision
0:13:00 > 0:13:03involving a driver who was an AXA customer.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Brownfoot was being given a lift to a DIY store
0:13:06 > 0:13:09when a pit stop landed both him and the driver in trouble.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14Tara McSorley is a solicitor with BLM, the insurer's lawyers.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18The driver pulled in at the side of a residential street
0:13:18 > 0:13:22and produced a carrier bag full of cannabis.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25The driver rolled a joint and began to smoke it.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30The claimant refused to take any of the cannabis.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32At that point, quite incredibly,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35the police drove past and smelt the cannabis.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39I understand that this cannabis has a very pungent odour.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46The driver then drove away at speed with the police in chase.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48But he lost control of the car
0:13:48 > 0:13:51and smashed into a bollard on the passenger side.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57The claimant refused to go to hospital by ambulance
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and the police took them both to the police station.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03The claimant was examined at the police station
0:14:03 > 0:14:05to be sure that he was fit for interview.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09So, Brownfoot appeared to have come out of the accident,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12in which he'd been a passenger, none the worse for wear.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18A few months later, AXA received a letter of claim
0:14:18 > 0:14:21indicating that he was going to claim for a personal injury.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26The claim detailed a range of soft tissue whiplash-type injuries.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29He was claiming for injuries to his neck, upper back,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32left shoulder and an injury to his left thigh.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35We would have expected compensation to be paid
0:14:35 > 0:14:40in the sum of around perhaps £4,000 to £6,000.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42It was a huge amount of money
0:14:42 > 0:14:44for injuries that apparently hadn't existed
0:14:44 > 0:14:46when he'd been examined at the police station.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50And the insurers were keen to weed out any irregularities.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53The concerns generally stemmed from the fact
0:14:53 > 0:14:56that drugs were involved in this accident.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00There were investigations carried out into this claimant.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03And so we went looking for him online.
0:15:03 > 0:15:04And they found him,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08together with evidence of the type of life he was leading.
0:15:08 > 0:15:14He gave the impression that he was generally pretty squeaky-clean.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17But, in fact, the social networking evidence that we had
0:15:17 > 0:15:20showed that he led a different life altogether.
0:15:20 > 0:15:21He followed a number of sites
0:15:21 > 0:15:24which purported to support the use of drugs.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27The investigation also raised questions
0:15:27 > 0:15:30about the severity of his alleged injuries.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33So, this accident happened at the start of September
0:15:33 > 0:15:36and a number of days after this,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38the plaintiff had posted a photograph
0:15:38 > 0:15:42where he was shown to have both legs suspended
0:15:42 > 0:15:44either side of a very large tree branch.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48I mean, if you're suffering from soft tissue injuries
0:15:48 > 0:15:51to the extent that the plaintiff claimed,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54you simply wouldn't be able to have climbed the tree.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58And in another of the images, he was dressed up like a hot-dog,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02drinking and smoking and having a good time.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04What a silly sausage!
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Despite the suspected drug-taking
0:16:06 > 0:16:09and the police chase in which Brownfoot had been a passenger,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12the claimant and his solicitors had the front
0:16:12 > 0:16:14to pursue the case in court.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17There, he was cross-examined about the tree photo.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22He said that the branch and the tree were supporting his back,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25which was just nonsense.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28He was also asked to explain a comment he'd posted on a site
0:16:28 > 0:16:30featuring a photo of drug use.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35He said that the reason that he had picked this particular image
0:16:35 > 0:16:39was because he had done a photography course and that he thought
0:16:39 > 0:16:41that this was a particularly well photoshopped image.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44All in all, he'd made a hash of the questioning,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46but there was more to come from the lawyers.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48So, the second prong of our defence
0:16:48 > 0:16:51was the fact that this was a joint criminal enterprise.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55We were saying that, basically, the claimant was in on it
0:16:55 > 0:16:58and he knew well that drugs were in the car.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01What happened next must have driven Brownfoot potty.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04The court dismissed the claimant's claim.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08This claim was never one that AXA would have paid.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09There were too many concerns
0:17:09 > 0:17:13about the fact this was a crash that had happened
0:17:13 > 0:17:16where there were drugs on board
0:17:16 > 0:17:18and where there had been a police pursuit.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Brownfoot's social media profile earned him a #fail
0:17:22 > 0:17:26as he watched his personal injury claim go up in smoke.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32In the last few years,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34fraud detection has become increasingly sophisticated.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Insurers are now turning to specialist consultants
0:17:37 > 0:17:40like Tara Shelton of i-Cog.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Combining her background as a police officer
0:17:42 > 0:17:45and with a degree in psychology, she has developed techniques
0:17:45 > 0:17:48that identify fraud more swiftly than normal.
0:17:48 > 0:17:49It's quite sad to say,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53but I think the majority of the population that do make claims
0:17:53 > 0:17:56that are exaggerated or are fraudulent
0:17:56 > 0:18:00do think that insurers are there for easy pickings
0:18:00 > 0:18:04and that it's almost their right to make a claim.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06But fraudsters have met their match in Tara.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09A phone call is all she needs to tell if they're lying.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12What I would class as one of the extreme indicators
0:18:12 > 0:18:15is something that I call sabotaging behaviour.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18So, that's when the claimant reacts
0:18:18 > 0:18:20in an extremely disproportionate manner
0:18:20 > 0:18:25because, for example, they don't like the information they've been told
0:18:25 > 0:18:29or they believe there is now an obstacle in their way
0:18:29 > 0:18:31to obtaining the money that they're after.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35In other words, they're seeking to sabotage the process
0:18:35 > 0:18:38and threaten or pressurise the claims handler to make a pay-out.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42The latest figures show that violent crime
0:18:42 > 0:18:44has been steadily falling for the last 20 years.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48So, to be mugged multiple times in a period of months
0:18:48 > 0:18:50starts to look more than just unlucky,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53especially when you factor in other losses.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Neil McFarlane is the managing director of TH March & Co,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00a company that provides specialist insurance for jewellery.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02They were contacted by a claimant
0:19:02 > 0:19:05who went on to become something of a regular fixture.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07The first time we heard from this customer
0:19:07 > 0:19:09was for the loss of a couple of stones
0:19:09 > 0:19:11out of his fiancee's engagement ring.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14This is quite a common occurrence, nothing particularly usual,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16and the amount involved was only £125
0:19:16 > 0:19:18and that claim was quickly settled.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23But it wasn't long before fate dealt another cruel blow to the claimant.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27He notified us that he had been attacked in his car
0:19:27 > 0:19:29and had a gent's watch stolen
0:19:29 > 0:19:32together with his wallet and his mobile phone.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Being contacted so soon after the original claim,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36this did put us on a bit of guard.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38But there was nothing particularly unusual
0:19:38 > 0:19:40in the circumstances of the loss.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44The watch had been a distinctive Cartier Santos model,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46meaning the claim was worth several thousand pounds.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Then, against all the odds,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52the customer was targeted once more with a knife-point mugging
0:19:52 > 0:19:56that robbed him of an expensive ring worth £2,500.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01Being mugged twice within six months is very, very unusual.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I know many people who've never been mugged in their entire lives.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08To be mugged twice in six months does mean he's either very unlucky
0:20:08 > 0:20:11or he's considering a fraudulent claim.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14With that in mind, it was decided that a loss adjuster
0:20:14 > 0:20:16needed to be brought in to look at the claim.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18The news was greeted less than warmly.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36When he realised that getting his claim through
0:20:36 > 0:20:39wasn't a simple matter of filling in a form,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42the claimant's manner changed towards the call handler.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56He became very aggressive, very defensive,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58did not want to meet with the loss adjuster.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01He also made certain allegations against members of staff
0:21:01 > 0:21:02which were completely unfounded
0:21:02 > 0:21:04and I think were used as a smokescreen.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19After the phone call,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22another member of the TH March staff spoke to the claimant.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Once again, he appeared to try and sabotage the process.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Did I hear that right? He's going to cancel his policy?
0:21:51 > 0:21:52That effectively means
0:21:52 > 0:21:55that he's not going to pursue the claim for the ring,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57which apparently was stolen from him.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01He's walking away from a potential settlement of £2,500.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03When somebody's not really interested
0:22:03 > 0:22:05in wanting to progress the claim
0:22:05 > 0:22:07and complaining that a loss adjuster's been appointed,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09we think that's a bit too defensive
0:22:09 > 0:22:12and points to the fact that it may not be a genuine claim.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Unsurprisingly, they heard nothing more.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Until two years later, they were contacted about another claim.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22The name seemed very familiar to our claims handler.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26And upon taking details, including mobile phone number, e-mail address
0:22:26 > 0:22:30and the actual items stolen, it was pretty much all identical.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33A loss adjuster was quickly appointed to handle the case
0:22:33 > 0:22:34and the claimant was informed.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Two years later, this is his response.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50Hold on.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53That sounds suspiciously similar to his strategy from two years ago.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04Change the record. It's the same sabotaging tactics all over again.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07In addition, the make and model of watch
0:23:07 > 0:23:10was the same as on the second claim - a Cartier Santos.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13But what really set alarm bells ringing was when it became clear
0:23:13 > 0:23:16that the serial numbers of the two watches were sequential.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Going by the losses were over two years apart,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21the chances happening are very, very slight indeed.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Once again, he wanted to just basically cancel his policy cover.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30If you couple this with the previous loss for a ring of £2,500,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32he's potentially walking away
0:23:32 > 0:23:34from claims totalling in excess of £6,500.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36In our minds, this is highly suspicious
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and is a good indication of a potential fraudulent claim.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Time ticked away and the claim, like the missing watches,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44disappeared for good
0:23:44 > 0:23:46and they never heard anything more from the man.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55After flash floods hit the Northeast in 2012,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Newcastle City Council was contacted by Stephen Robinson,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01a local man who claimed that he'd broken his ankle
0:24:01 > 0:24:04as a result of a poorly maintained manhole cover.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07But social media pulled the plug on his fraudulent claim.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13It was clearly a self-inflicted injury.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15I've snapped my ankle.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20So, DC Kate Sibley went after him IFED-style.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25We're planning to knock on his door and make the arrest
0:24:25 > 0:24:27and take him back to the local police station,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30where we'll interview him, put the evidence we have to him
0:24:30 > 0:24:33and see what he's got to say for himself.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35You get a buzz when you're arresting somebody
0:24:35 > 0:24:36and the adrenaline does pump,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38because you want to get the perpetrator.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41You've worked hard on the investigation
0:24:41 > 0:24:43and you want to see it come to a conclusion.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Kate and her colleague, DS Mark Forster,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48started at the last known address for Stephen Robinson.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Just want to go round the back.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52KNOCKING
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Morning. City of London Police. Is Stephen about?
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Have you got a phone number for him? Can I have it, please?
0:24:58 > 0:25:01This is his parents' address. He's not at his parents' address.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03He's moved out about a year ago.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Since moving out, he'd had very little contact with his parents.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10They knew nothing about the personal injury claim.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Undeterred, Mark attempted to make contact with the suspect
0:25:12 > 0:25:14over the phone.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16I'm up in Newcastle with some colleagues
0:25:16 > 0:25:19and we need to interview you.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22But, again, drew a blank when it went to voicemail.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24We can only do what we can do.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27We will get hold of him somehow. I won't give up.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33While they waited for the suspect to get back to them,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36the IFED team stumbled upon the location of the notorious incident.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41We believe this is possibly where he's jumped from,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45looking at the area and remembering from the YouTube footage.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47People were standing sort of either side
0:25:47 > 0:25:51and he's taken a running jump down here and jumped off the steps.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55If he knows the area, he must have realised it wasn't that deep.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Just a little bit stupid. Not even a little bit - very stupid.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Eventually, Kate's persistence paid off
0:26:02 > 0:26:05when she received a call from a blocked number.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Hello, Kate Sibley.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10..Oh, yes, I am. Mr Robinson, where are you?
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Yeah, it's in relation to an insurance fraud.
0:26:17 > 0:26:18Your leg.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21All right, OK, I'll speak to you in half an hour.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23- He's just phoned me.- Has he?- Yeah.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25"I believe you're looking for me." "Yes, I am."
0:26:25 > 0:26:28"Give me half an hour, I'll phone you back and meet you."
0:26:28 > 0:26:30"Where are you?" "I'm not telling you that."
0:26:30 > 0:26:33He's going to want to meet at the nick, I would hazard a guess,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35but he's going to get lifted at the nick.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37- He's probably going to get a brief sorted.- Yeah.
0:26:37 > 0:26:38It's just time-wasting, really.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41A bit frustrating, because we're doing as he bids, really,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43which I don't like doing.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45This is the game we play.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49Robinson's solicitor later rang back on his behalf
0:26:49 > 0:26:51and arranged for his client to meet the IFED team
0:26:51 > 0:26:53at a local police station.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56He's on his way, so we've got our man eventually.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58We've got all the evidence to put to him,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00so it's just what he says in interview, really.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04After the arrest and interview, the case eventually proceeded to court.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Unbelievably, he still maintained his innocence.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11He went not guilty the first few hearings at court.
0:27:11 > 0:27:12Then we went to trial.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15We were supposed to have a trial in January of this year, 2015,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18and on the day of the trial, he pleaded guilty.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Clearly, he decided he didn't have a leg to stand on.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26He was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work and costs of £600.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30I think he was stupid.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33I think he thought he was going to make some easy money.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Yeah, he WAS seriously injured and so he was off work,
0:27:35 > 0:27:37but that was through no fault of the local council.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39That was through his own stupidity.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41So, I don't think he'll be doing it again.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45We are the custodians of public money.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50The fact is, we need our money to spend on services
0:27:50 > 0:27:57to the most vulnerable and to older people and children in our community.
0:27:57 > 0:28:03And we don't want that money to be going into a fraudster's pocket.