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 billion every year.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11That's almost £3.5 million every day.
0:00:13 > 0:00:18Deliberate crashes, bogus personal injuries, even phantom pets.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23The fraudsters are risking more and more to make a quick killing
0:00:23 > 0:00:27and every year it's adding over £50 to your insurance bill.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29But insurers are fighting back,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33exposing just under 15 fake claims every hour.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Armed with covert surveillance systems.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Subject out the vehicle.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Sophisticated data analysis techniques.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45And a number of highly skilled police units.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Police, don't move, stay where you are.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49They're catching the criminals red-handed.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Just don't lie to us.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54All those conmen, scammers and cheats on the fiddle are now
0:00:54 > 0:00:56caught in the act and claimed and shamed.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07It's the police, can you open up, please?
0:01:07 > 0:01:09The game is up for one fraudster.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12You're under arrest on suspicion of fraud by false representation.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15One man mistakes a bus for his bed.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18You can see by the position of his head he's beginning to doze off.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20You've got to feel a little bit sorry for,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22for the chap in that it's an unfortunate accident.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25And one claimant has an unlikely career change.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29He presented himself as a security doorman, over time his career
0:01:29 > 0:01:32fortune seemed to have blossomed into him becoming a surgeon.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43With 29 million customers nationwide,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47it's inevitable that Aviva get their fair share of fraudulent claims.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50But whilst many of these are from opportunists trying their luck.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Sometimes they're faced with a fraud on a much larger scale.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Angela Bailey and her team found themselves dealing with
0:01:56 > 0:01:58exactly this type of case.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Within one of our claims locations they identified a couple of
0:02:02 > 0:02:07claims where the claimants addresses and telephone numbers linked.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10So these were referred into our claims fraud intelligence unit,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13who then reviewed the claims for further exposure.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17The same people involved in numerous claims was strange enough.
0:02:17 > 0:02:18But as they continued to investigate,
0:02:18 > 0:02:20that wasn't all they discovered.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24There were seven policies that had all been taken out by the same
0:02:24 > 0:02:28bank accounts and all of these policies linked back to Mr Qadri.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33We identified that Mr Qadri had taken out seven policies
0:02:33 > 0:02:35all by the same credit card with us.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Holding numerous insurance policies isn't a crime.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41But Abdul Qadri had already received two pay-outs,
0:02:41 > 0:02:45totalling £12,000 and Aviva's investigation
0:02:45 > 0:02:48revealed that this was potentially just the tip of the iceberg.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51In total there were 16 claims, which resulted in 60 injury claims
0:02:51 > 0:02:57submitted to Aviva with a value of £300,000.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Such a high volume of claims and injuries was a huge red flag
0:03:01 > 0:03:05and with around £300,000 on the line, Aviva's investigation
0:03:05 > 0:03:09continued and it wasn't long before their suspicions were confirmed.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Mr Qadri appeared on a couple of the claims
0:03:11 > 0:03:14but the majority were names and addresses where people had no
0:03:14 > 0:03:17idea that the claims had been made for them.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20So Qadri had been submitting claims using other people's details
0:03:20 > 0:03:25and it appeared he wasn't too picky about whose identities he used.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28People that he'd put in these claims were linked to him
0:03:28 > 0:03:29via friends, family.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33On the whole they had no idea that the claims had been submitted.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37By now Qadri had already fraudulently received £12,000
0:03:37 > 0:03:38but now they were onto him.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Aviva set the wheels in motion to bring this fraudster to justice.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Once Aviva had sufficient evidence we contacted the Insurance
0:03:45 > 0:03:49Fraud Enforcement Department at the City of London Police to take
0:03:49 > 0:03:51the investigation further.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Since it was formed in January 2012 IFED has convicted over 700
0:03:57 > 0:04:01fraudsters and they didn't waste any time in taking up this case.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Simon Styles was one of the officers who worked on the investigation.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09When the case was referred to IFED,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13all we had at that stage was a number of fraudulent claims
0:04:13 > 0:04:16all linked together by a single bank account.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20We did some further enquiries around the details of the vehicles
0:04:20 > 0:04:22that was used in the, in the accidents.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25We found that these people either didn't exist as far as we were
0:04:25 > 0:04:28aware, they didn't live where they said they lived
0:04:28 > 0:04:30and they didn't actually own the vehicles that they were
0:04:30 > 0:04:32reportedly driving at the time of the accidents.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35It was looking as though Mr Qadri was not only impersonating
0:04:35 > 0:04:38claimants but shockingly investigators were also
0:04:38 > 0:04:43concerned that he was potentially fabricating some of the crashes.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47We believe that a number of them did take place but also a number of them
0:04:47 > 0:04:52were what's called staged, where two vehicles are brought together
0:04:52 > 0:04:55deliberately to make it look as though it is a proper accident.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59IFED began putting together a detailed
0:04:59 > 0:05:02profile of their suspect and it pointed to one conclusion.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Well, looking at Mr Qadri's bank account it looks as
0:05:05 > 0:05:08though he had some means.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09He didn't appear to be working at all.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12There wasn't a salary, there wasn't any legitimate source of income
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and therefore we think he was the mastermind behind this.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19It was time to speak to Qadri face-to-face.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21So DC Kate Sibley and her team paid him
0:05:21 > 0:05:24an early morning visit at his home address.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Hopefully, we're going to be finding telephone numbers that have
0:05:27 > 0:05:31been used, names that have been used to open up the policies.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Officers arrive at Qadri's address and immediately secure the front and
0:05:36 > 0:05:40back of the house to avoid anyone attempting to leave the property.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50It's the police, so can you open the door?
0:05:51 > 0:05:54The longer we spend outside knowing that someone's in there,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58the more concerned we get as to whether they're going to attempt to
0:05:58 > 0:06:04escape, arm themselves or hide the evidence or attempt to destroy it.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Eventually their knocks are answered.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Good morning, my name's DC Einsmann from City Police.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Mr Qadri, I'm going to arrest you.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16OK, you're under arrest on suspicion of fraud by false representation.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Still to come.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22We seized a number of handwritten documents which are, basically,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24an outline of the accident.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28As the search gets underway, IFED officers hit the jackpot.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30It was a whole diary of his criminal activity.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43In the UK there are around 6,000 accidents involving buses each year.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47When someone claims they've had an accident on a FirstGroup bus
0:06:47 > 0:06:50it usually lands on the desk of Lee Ingram.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52It's alleged that in late 2014 a gentleman was
0:06:52 > 0:06:56injured on one of our buses when it took a corner too abruptly
0:06:56 > 0:06:59and he was thrown from his seat.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Now, most of us have been caught off balance on a bus before,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05but usually the only harm done is a bruised ego.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08However, when the passenger in this claim lost his balance,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10the results were disastrous.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14He sustained a black eye, a nasty cut to his head
0:07:14 > 0:07:16and also a soft tissue injury to his neck.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19This claim would have been worth about £9,500
0:07:19 > 0:07:22and that will have been made up of the personal injury, the treatment
0:07:22 > 0:07:26costs and legal fees arising for bringing the claim itself.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30As with every claim they receive FirstGroup investigated further,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34and their first port of call was a fancy bit of onboard technology.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37All of First buses are fitted with telematics equipment.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Generally, what they do is, they record changes in speed,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44changes in direction, sudden acceleration, deceleration.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48It's quite easy to see if a bus has turned quickly, it would
0:07:48 > 0:07:51show a record of this happening.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54With the telematic technology showing no evidence of any
0:07:54 > 0:07:58sudden turns the team switched their attention to the onboard cameras
0:07:58 > 0:08:02in the hope they might provide some answers as to exactly what happened.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04The CCTV footage shows this gentleman
0:08:04 > 0:08:06sitting in one of the front seats.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09You can see by the position of his head he's beginning to doze off.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12It's a nice sunny day and the shadows thrown across the bus
0:08:12 > 0:08:16can sometimes have a soothing effect, it's quite warm.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19So, it's not surprising he's probably fallen asleep.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Now, pay attention, folks it certainly looks as
0:08:21 > 0:08:24though he's starting to drift off.
0:08:24 > 0:08:25Next stop is the land of nod.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29He's going, going, gone.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Owf, that was a nasty fall.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36When you see him fall off his seat, face first into the stairwell,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39you know that, that's hurt, you've got to feel a little bit
0:08:39 > 0:08:42sorry for, for the chap in that it's an unfortunate accident.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45As painful as it may have been FirstGroup remain
0:08:45 > 0:08:47certain of one thing.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50We do see some cases obviously where people deliberately will
0:08:50 > 0:08:52throw themselves to the bus floor.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54This isn't one of those incidences,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58it clearly is a situation where, the gentleman has fallen off his seat.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01But the difference here is that he's alleging that this was
0:09:01 > 0:09:02caused by the bus movement
0:09:02 > 0:09:05and it's not it's actually caused by him being asleep and being
0:09:05 > 0:09:09unable to stay on his chair as the bus is moving quite normally.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13Let's see that again, eyes peeled for the mysterious quick turn,
0:09:13 > 0:09:19no, the only thing I can see turning is his fellow passengers' heads.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22You'll notice from the actual footage itself that no-one
0:09:22 > 0:09:26moves or shows any real issues with the way the vehicle's moving
0:09:26 > 0:09:29or travelling, you've got the young boy there
0:09:29 > 0:09:33sitting in the luggage rack and, he doesn't, he doesn't budge.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36If the vehicle had suddenly turned the way that the claimant has
0:09:36 > 0:09:39said, he would have needed to hang on otherwise he's going to
0:09:39 > 0:09:41get thrown out of that luggage rack.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Cos you've seen the way that the gentleman's come off his seat.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Fortunately, FirstGroup's buses are also fitted with
0:09:48 > 0:09:50cameras on the outside.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53So just to be sure that the footage from inside wasn't misleading,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Lee's team checked out every angle just in case they'd missed
0:09:56 > 0:10:00the quick turn the passenger was claiming against.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01Did you see it?
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Nope, looked like smooth driving to me, let's take another look.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10It showed absolutely nothing at all, so it's more a case of what
0:10:10 > 0:10:13it didn't show than what it did show in this instance.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15There's no doubt at all that this is a genuine incident where the
0:10:15 > 0:10:18chap has fallen off his seat, but are First to blame for that?
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Absolutely not.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Armed with such convincing evidence, FirstGroup put this claim to bed.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26It was quickly decided that there was no way
0:10:26 > 0:10:29that we were at fault for this gentleman's fall.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31We quickly rejected the claim and we haven't heard since.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43The UK jewellery and watch industry is worth more than £5 billion.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45But it's not all about the money.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47From inherited diamonds to wedding bands,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50jewellery often has a sentimental value.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Thankfully, insurance is there to cover our prized possessions
0:10:53 > 0:10:57should they get misplaced, broken or stolen.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00When one woman lost her treasured engagement ring John Beadle,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04RSA's counter fraud manager, and his team were on hand to help.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08This lady had a policy, a household domestic policy
0:11:08 > 0:11:13which would cover the normal perils that you would expect, fire,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17theft, and in this case it, it also covered accidental loss both
0:11:17 > 0:11:21within the insured premises and externally as well.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24To John and his team the lost engagement ring appeared to
0:11:24 > 0:11:25be run of the mill claim.
0:11:25 > 0:11:31She said that she had gone for a walk in a local beauty spot
0:11:31 > 0:11:35and she'd lost her engagement ring which was valued at £2,400, it
0:11:35 > 0:11:38being apparently a handmade design.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42It sounded initially like, like a genuine claim
0:11:42 > 0:11:44and of course as we would do normally
0:11:44 > 0:11:49we began arrangements to settle her claim for her.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Before any money could be handed over,
0:11:51 > 0:11:56RSA needed some proof that the customer had owned the item.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59But as luck would have it, she had a clear photo of herself
0:11:59 > 0:12:01wearing the ring, a very clear photo.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03Unlucky for her,
0:12:03 > 0:12:08when we examined the photographs we found that they were timed
0:12:08 > 0:12:14and date stamped three days after the alleged loss of the ring.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17The claimant had been caught out by the metadata that's stored
0:12:17 > 0:12:19within all digital images.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23We've come a long way from the film cameras of yesteryear,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26when you take a snap today you aren't just capturing
0:12:26 > 0:12:30the image you're also recording the time and date it was taken and
0:12:30 > 0:12:34sometimes even the exact location of where you were at the time.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37For insurers these hidden details can be gold dust,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40but for potential fraudsters they can be a nightmare.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45I'm never surprised by things in this job. I've been in it
0:12:45 > 0:12:50quite a long time, but this is a clear outrageous cheek.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53To RSA it was crystal clear that she was trying it on,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55and I'm not talking about the jewellery.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59She was making a claim for a very precious item,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03an engagement ring, which you would naturally be very upset about
0:13:03 > 0:13:07if you had lost it in those circumstances.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11And we were doing our best to try and compensate for this, this
0:13:11 > 0:13:16loss, when actually it's quite clear that the loss never occurred at all.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20Armed with the incriminating photo RSA reported the case to the
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department who wasted little time.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28They paid her an unannounced visit at her place of work.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33And, lo and behold, she was at that time of their visit wearing
0:13:33 > 0:13:38the said engagement ring, which she had allegedly lost.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Talk about being caught red-handed.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43It'll come as no surprise that this woman didn't receive the pay-out
0:13:43 > 0:13:47she was hoping for but that's not to say she left empty handed.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51She was arrested and taken back to the police station where
0:13:51 > 0:13:55she was interviewed under caution and she admitted her guilt.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00It was decided to deal with her by way of an official police caution.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03This woman learned the hard way that committing fraud comes with
0:14:03 > 0:14:06serious consequences.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09You will end up on the insurance fraud register, which will
0:14:09 > 0:14:13cause you problems in obtaining insurance cover in the future.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20As head of fraud at Aviva insurance,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Tom Gardiner knows a thing or two about accidents and injuries.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27The extensive experience of Tom and his team came in handy
0:14:27 > 0:14:30when one of their customers was involved in a collision,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36where all five occupants of the other car claimed they'd
0:14:36 > 0:14:37suffered whiplash.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42So, a straightforward whiplash injury on its own may have a value
0:14:42 > 0:14:44between £1,500 and £3,000.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49But as Aviva began the lengthy task of processing the five claims,
0:14:49 > 0:14:54one of the passengers, a Mr Shah, had a slightly different account.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57In the first place he presented a claim for straightforward
0:14:57 > 0:14:59whiplash injuries.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Over time that escalated, astonishingly, into really
0:15:03 > 0:15:06quite catastrophic injuries, including being in a coma
0:15:06 > 0:15:08for two months, multiple fractures,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12broken jaw, broken teeth and blackouts.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Was he in the ejector seat?
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Now, it's fair to say that some whiplash injuries can worsen
0:15:17 > 0:15:18over time,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20but this was taking it to a whole new level
0:15:20 > 0:15:24as the list of injuries went on to include a fractured skull,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28blindness in one eye and loss of taste.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30As far as Aviva were concerned though,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33the entire claim left a bad taste in the mouth
0:15:33 > 0:15:36because Mr Shah's injuries weren't the only details
0:15:36 > 0:15:37that were ever-changing.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39There were a number of inconsistencies with
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Mr Shah's claim, including his employment status.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47In the first place, he presented himself as a security doorman.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Over time, his career fortunes seemed to have blossomed
0:15:50 > 0:15:52into him becoming a surgeon.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57We suspect that was all about trying to inflate his claim for wages
0:15:57 > 0:15:59and loss of earnings.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01From doorman to surgeon in a matter of months.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Now, that's some career progression.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05But Tom thinks he knows the reason
0:16:05 > 0:16:08behind Mr Shah's meteoric rise up the ranks.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11If he had had a genuine whiplash claim as a doorman,
0:16:11 > 0:16:15his claim may have had a value of several thousand pounds.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20If he was a surgeon, with such catastrophic injuries,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22it would have been hundreds of thousands.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26It will come as no surprise that with such dubious inconsistencies
0:16:26 > 0:16:30on the claim, Aviva decided to look into this one a little further.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32We carried out detailed investigations
0:16:32 > 0:16:35and in particular we arranged for engineers is to inspect
0:16:35 > 0:16:39the damage to the vehicles which proved to be wholly inconsistent
0:16:39 > 0:16:42with the circumstances and injuries presented.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45With the damage to Mr Shah's car a million miles away
0:16:45 > 0:16:47from what the claim suggested,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Aviva turned their attention to the alleged injuries.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52I think we were surprised by the inconsistency
0:16:52 > 0:16:54and escalation of the injuries.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Medical evidence was never presented.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Refusing to be stitched up by a pseudo-surgeon,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Aviva sent Shah and his solicitors packing.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06But they soon discovered that they were dealing with a man
0:17:06 > 0:17:08who was as determined as he was deluded,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10when Shah instructed another solicitor
0:17:10 > 0:17:12to pursue his claim for injury.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16We were particularly surprised the firms were prepared to accept
0:17:16 > 0:17:22Mr Shah's claim without validating him or the truth of his injuries.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26It was Aviva that notified the solicitors and alerted them
0:17:26 > 0:17:27to their client's fraud.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31But with a potentially life-changing amount of money in his sights,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Shah was not going to give in easily.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37He enlisted an astonishing 12 different solicitors
0:17:37 > 0:17:40to pursue his claim over the course of the investigation.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45However, without any proof of his injuries whatsoever, none of his
0:17:45 > 0:17:49army of solicitors were successful in securing Shah a pay-out.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53And in a shocking turn of events,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56investigators discovered yet another bombshell,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59this time involving the car that allegedly caused the incident.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04We also interviewed the driver of our insurance vehicle who was
0:18:04 > 0:18:07complicit in the fraud and eventually put his hands up
0:18:07 > 0:18:09and admitted it was a scam.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11So they were all in on it.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14This claim was dodgier than Mr Shah's medical credentials.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18What we are quite clear about is that this was an entirely bogus
0:18:18 > 0:18:23accident and entirely bogus injuries.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Tom and his team compiled their evidence
0:18:25 > 0:18:28and handed it over to the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department
0:18:28 > 0:18:30who gladly took on the case.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35We then worked with them to bring a prosecution and eventually Mr Shah
0:18:35 > 0:18:37was sentenced to six months in prison,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39which we were very pleased with.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43For Aviva, the outcome was a great success.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46In total, we avoided all five claims,
0:18:46 > 0:18:51including Mr Shah's catastrophic injuries, which potentially
0:18:51 > 0:18:55had a value of several hundreds of thousands of pounds.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Pets can be a great addition to the home
0:19:05 > 0:19:07but caring for them isn't cheap.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11In fact, the average trip to the vet's costs around £300.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Thankfully, pet insurance is there to take the brunt of the cost
0:19:14 > 0:19:17when our furry friends are injured or become ill.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20But, just like any other type of insurance, it is open
0:19:20 > 0:19:23to spurious and exaggerated claims,
0:19:23 > 0:19:25as Simon Wheeler and his team from Agria discovered
0:19:25 > 0:19:30when they dealt with a dog owner who had an upsetting visit to the vet's.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32This was undoubtedly a very sad incident.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36A young puppy had had heart failure and sadly died.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56After receiving a claim form from the grieving owner for £500,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Agria started looking into the claim but as they read through
0:19:59 > 0:20:03the policy holder's paperwork, something jumped off the page.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07We looked at the policy details and we found that the policy had
0:20:07 > 0:20:12only been set up less than two hours before the puppy had died.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15To all intents and purposes, if it had been a clean-cut accident
0:20:15 > 0:20:20and the puppy has died, the policy holder would have been covered.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23The problem was that this was anything but clean-cut.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25The timing of the puppy's passing
0:20:25 > 0:20:28was a real concern for Simon and his team.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30The death of the puppy was very, very, very close
0:20:30 > 0:20:33to the start of the policy and ordinarily,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36young puppies don't just drop dead without any warning.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40What we suspect is that the puppy had shown signs of being ill
0:20:40 > 0:20:43and the owner was then deciding to make sure
0:20:43 > 0:20:47they had insurance in place to cover that previous illness.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49If the poor little pup was showing signs of illness
0:20:49 > 0:20:52before the insurance policy was taken out,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55then unfortunately the owner's policy would not be valid.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Pet health insurance is no different to human health insurance
0:20:58 > 0:20:59or motor insurance.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02If your grandma has a chronic heart condition,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05you can't take out an insurance policy
0:21:05 > 0:21:08to pay for private medical fees for that heart condition.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10It's pre-existing, it's already there.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13To establish whether the puppy had been showing any signs
0:21:13 > 0:21:17of illness before the policy was taken out, they spoke to the owner.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31Sounds fair enough, but Agria wanted an expert opinion too,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34so they also spoke to the vet who treated the puppy,
0:21:34 > 0:21:38although their account of what had happened was remarkably different.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42On 30th July, the puppy had been seen for its primary
0:21:42 > 0:21:46vaccinations and was, to all intent and purposes, healthy.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50A week later, the puppy was brought in to see the vet again
0:21:50 > 0:21:52but this time the poor thing wasn't so well.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57The puppy was coughing, was marginally distressed.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Over the next two days, the puppy's condition continued to deteriorate.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06After repeated visits to the vet, the poor pup sadly passed away.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09But there was more bad news to come.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13The vet unequivocally told her that the puppy wouldn't be
0:22:13 > 0:22:16insured as the condition was pre-existing.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19It started before the insurance was set up.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22You might think that being told by a vet that your dog
0:22:22 > 0:22:24is definitely not covered would be the end of the matter.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Not in this case.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Upon hearing that, the policy holder quite candidly asked the vet
0:22:30 > 0:22:33if they could just lose the veterinary history or amend
0:22:33 > 0:22:36the veterinary history so that the insurance would pay out.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40The vet obviously told the policy holder, if I change my notes,
0:22:40 > 0:22:44if we change the veterinary history, that would be fraudulent.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46The owner asking for the records to be changed
0:22:46 > 0:22:48was the final straw for Agria.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53As far as they were concerned, this claim was 100% null and void.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58But, just to make sure the message sank in, they put it in writing.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02That included the fact that she had asked the vet to act fraudulently
0:23:02 > 0:23:05and amend the veterinary records.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20She was quite stressed at that point.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23She was quite frightened because she tried to act fraudulently
0:23:23 > 0:23:24and had been rumbled.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Unsurprisingly, Agria are still waiting for that response.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54I think that policy holder won't be doing this type of thing again.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57They were very shaken by the fact that one,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01they had been discovered and two, they had foolishly tried to take
0:24:01 > 0:24:04some money from an insurance company that they weren't entitled to.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14Previously, in Birmingham, IFED's DC Kate Sibley
0:24:14 > 0:24:17tracked down Abdul Qadri who was suspected of masterminding
0:24:17 > 0:24:23a huge motor insurance scam with an estimated value of over £300,000.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26You're under arrest on suspicion of fraud by false representation.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28With Qadri under arrest,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31the team began searching the property for evidence.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35We're completing a search of your address, OK.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40I'm looking for certain things, insurance documents
0:24:40 > 0:24:43and anything to do with motor vehicle insurance.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44With the search well underway,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47the team uncover a mountain of suspicious paperwork.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50We're in one of the main bedroom is at the moment
0:24:50 > 0:24:54and it is just sackfuls of paperwork, documentation.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Quite a lot of it relating to what we're investigating.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00We've got documents relating to the insurance company,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04all the names, telephone numbers, the registration numbers
0:25:04 > 0:25:07that we're looking for that are in relation to this inquiry.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09We're only about halfway through the search now
0:25:09 > 0:25:11but we're finding stuff all the time.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16As the bags of evidence mounted, it was starting to become clear
0:25:16 > 0:25:18that this was a meticulously planned operation.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23We seized a number of handwritten documents which are basically
0:25:23 > 0:25:25an outline of the accident.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Notes of where the accident took place, how it took place
0:25:28 > 0:25:31but we found a number of those driver details of third-party
0:25:31 > 0:25:37vehicle, victim's details, insurance company details and obviously a
0:25:37 > 0:25:41full description of how the accident happened with a nice little diagram.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44To investigators, the revealing detail in the documents
0:25:44 > 0:25:47far exceeded their expectations.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51It was a whole diary of his criminal activity
0:25:51 > 0:25:54and we were very pleased to actually take possession of it.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58We knew at this stage Mr Qadri had a lot of explaining to do.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Faced with such damning evidence, it wasn't long
0:26:02 > 0:26:05before Qadri was banged to rights.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Mr Qadri was charged with fraud by false representation
0:26:08 > 0:26:11and he was bailed to attend the local magistrates courts
0:26:11 > 0:26:13in early January 2014.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16But IFED were in for a nasty surprise,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18because when Qadri's day in court arrived,
0:26:18 > 0:26:19he was nowhere to be seen.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26The UK Borders were informed in case he'd left the country and returned
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and inquiries were made through relatives
0:26:28 > 0:26:29and family at previous addresses.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Unfortunately we could not find him.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Wherever Qadri may have run to, IFED were certain of one thing.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38It was now a waiting game. We knew he'd show up.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40We didn't know where and we didn't know when. We knew he would.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Sure enough, eventually IFED got their man.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48We got a call that Mr Qadri had been arrested at Heathrow
0:26:48 > 0:26:51having returned on a flight from Afghanistan.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54With Qadri finally back in the UK, IFED did the polite thing
0:26:54 > 0:26:56and greeted him at the airport.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00He was a bit surprised that we were waiting for him.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02I don't think he thought we'd take that much trouble over him
0:27:02 > 0:27:06but we take trouble over catching anybody who commits insurance fraud
0:27:06 > 0:27:08or any other crime in the UK.
0:27:08 > 0:27:09Now in the hands of IFED,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12there was no way Qadri was going to escape this time.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Within 24 hours of Mr Qadri setting off the plane
0:27:15 > 0:27:17after he arrived from Afghanistan,
0:27:17 > 0:27:19he was before the Crown Court in Birmingham.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Faced with overwhelming evidence,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Mr Qadri immediately put in a plea of guilty.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28The judge sentenced him to 38 months imprisonment for his offences
0:27:28 > 0:27:33and an extra three months to serve for failing to return on bail
0:27:33 > 0:27:35and fleeing the country.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Qadri thought he was in line to receive over £300,000.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41In fact, he got over three years behind bars.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46I believe Mr Qadri received such a long sentence
0:27:46 > 0:27:49due to the organised nature of these incidents
0:27:49 > 0:27:51from the notebooks the detectives
0:27:51 > 0:27:53found when they raided his address.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56This has quite clearly been planned to some detail
0:27:56 > 0:28:00and with every intent of financial gain through fraudulent means.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04IFED have since made a proceeds of crime application against Qadri
0:28:04 > 0:28:08to recoup the money he fraudulently claimed from Aviva.