0:00:06 > 0:00:09Insurance fraud has reached epidemic levels in the UK.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14It's costing us more than £1.3 billion every year.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17That's almost 3.6 million every day.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24Deliberate crashes, bogus personal injuries, even phantom pets.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29The fraudsters are risking more and more to make a quick killing,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33and every year it's adding around £50 to your insurance bill.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36But insurers are fighting back,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39exposing just under 15 fake claims every hour.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Armed with covert surveillance systems...
0:00:41 > 0:00:44That's the subject out of the vehicle.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46..sophisticated data analysis techniques...
0:00:48 > 0:00:51..and a number of highly skilled police units...
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Police, don't move, stay where you are!
0:00:53 > 0:00:55..they're catching the criminals red-handed.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56Just don't lie to us.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01All those conmen, scammers and cheats on the fiddle are now
0:01:01 > 0:01:04caught in the act and Claimed and Shamed.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14A lorry driver claiming he can't walk pushes the boat out
0:01:14 > 0:01:16with his false claim.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19What you can actually see in this first period of surveillance
0:01:19 > 0:01:22is Mr Heffer walking quite significant distances,
0:01:22 > 0:01:26but, in addition to that, working on this fishing vessel as well.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29A criminal gang risks the lives of innocent motorists by
0:01:29 > 0:01:31deliberately causing car crashes.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35They prefer to look for people who are going to be insured,
0:01:35 > 0:01:39commercial vehicles, people with children in the cars.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44And a claimant who tries to board a moving bus is tripped up by CCTV.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47What we actually see when we're looking at the footage is
0:01:47 > 0:01:52a gentleman sprinting like a gazelle to try and get on the bus.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54He lunges majestically at the last minute.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Every year, an estimated 4.1 million working days are lost
0:02:03 > 0:02:05due to workplace injuries.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Whether it's a minor mishap or a life-threatening accident,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12the goal for most of us is to get better and get back to work.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Now, if your employer is to blame for your accident,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18you have the right to seek fair compensation.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21However, this right is being exploited by fraudsters
0:02:21 > 0:02:25who fake or exaggerate injuries in a bid for early retirement.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32It's Rob Smith-Wright's job to suss out the real claims
0:02:32 > 0:02:33from the rogue ones.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Back in 2009, he was handed what appeared to be an everyday claim.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Mr Heffer was an employee at one of our policyholders.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46He claimed that when he was claiming into the cab of
0:02:46 > 0:02:49a heavy goods vehicle, the tread plate that he was stepping onto
0:02:49 > 0:02:52gave way, and he fell down to the floor,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54injuring his back and left leg.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Although Mr Heffer's injuries were significant,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00he was expected to make a full recovery.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03After investigation,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07the footplate that caused the accident was found to be faulty.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11His employer admitted liability and awaited the claim.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15But when it came in, there was something of a shock.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18For an injury of this kind, sort of a simple back injury,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21injury to a left leg,
0:03:21 > 0:03:26you would've expected some kind of compensation to the value of
0:03:26 > 0:03:28around about £3,000-£5,000,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32so when Mr Heffer served his schedule of damages,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34it was served to the value of £400,000,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37which would have been clearly things like lost earnings,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41future lost earnings, care, future care and also provisions
0:03:41 > 0:03:43that would allow him to lead a normal life.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48That's a whopping ten times more than expected and suggested that
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Mr Heffer's injuries were far more serious than first thought.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57So, when Mr Heffer was being interviewed by the pain specialist,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00he described that he was severely restricted in all
0:04:00 > 0:04:04forms of mobility, he was unable to walk significant distances.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06At this point he was also claiming that he was using walking sticks.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08He wasn't able to drive.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12He had severe pain in his left leg radiating down from his back.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15He also described that actually, medication relief that
0:04:15 > 0:04:18he was given for the pain was having no effect.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23It sounded like Mr Heffer had suffered debilitating injuries
0:04:23 > 0:04:25as well as losing his livelihood,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28which had severely impacted on his quality of life.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32But, given the nature of the accident,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34something just wasn't adding up.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36During the course of our investigations with
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Mr Heffer's solicitors,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40we were being told that Mr Heffer was suffering severe
0:04:40 > 0:04:45restrictions and limitations as a result of the injuries,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48which weren't really in-keeping with the circumstances that
0:04:48 > 0:04:49were described to us.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52We decided at that point that further investigations
0:04:52 > 0:04:55would be needed because of those general red flags.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00After taking a closer look at the case, a crucial decision was
0:05:00 > 0:05:04made which Rob and his team hoped would address their doubts.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08We undertook some general desktop profiling, which was starting
0:05:08 > 0:05:12to reveal some inconsistencies in the account, certainly.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16We decided at that point that a period of surveillance would help
0:05:16 > 0:05:20us identify any inconsistencies that Mr Heffer may have been telling us.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25It would be a period of surveillance that would last for over
0:05:25 > 0:05:29three years, testing the commitment and patience of Rob's team.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33The truth would slowly but most definitely reveal itself.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37What you can actually see in this first period of surveillance
0:05:37 > 0:05:41is Mr Heffer walking quite significant distances,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44but in addition to that, working on this fishing vessel as well.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48So, while claiming he could barely walk,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51his sea legs appear to be just fine.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54The second period of surveillance that we undertook here, again,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57in direct contradiction to what he was telling the medical experts,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59you can see that Mr Heffer has undertaken quite
0:05:59 > 0:06:01a significant walk, around about 20 minutes,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04to his local post office, where he's telling the medical expert
0:06:04 > 0:06:07he's unable to walk any kind of significant distances.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Yep, previously he couldn't manage 100 yards because of the pain.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Now he was going miles to post his mail.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Generally speaking, you would have expected the surveillance
0:06:18 > 0:06:22to show someone who was having problems with his mobility,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24but the surveillance footage seems to indicate that there is
0:06:24 > 0:06:27no problems at all and he is in fact walking quite freely.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Free as a bird and apparently without a care in the world.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36My initial reaction on seeing this is one of surprise,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39considering the level of disability and restriction that we were
0:06:39 > 0:06:41being told that Mr Heffer was suffering.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46With Heffer's energetic exploits and maritime mischief captured on
0:06:46 > 0:06:50camera, the damning evidence was disclosed to his solicitor.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55It was very clear at this point that we had discovered
0:06:55 > 0:06:56an insurance fraud.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Very shortly afterwards, Mr Heffer's solicitor came off record
0:07:00 > 0:07:03for him, leaving him as a litigant in person.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06I think, at that point, if your solicitor's no longer
0:07:06 > 0:07:10wanting to act for you, you have to say the game was very much up.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13The game may have been up for Heffer,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16but Rob and his investigative team were just getting started.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20We were very pleased that Mr Heffer had decided
0:07:20 > 0:07:22to discontinue his claim.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24However, again,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27we wanted to look at other ways in which we could send
0:07:27 > 0:07:30a very strong deterrent message to someone who was prepared to
0:07:30 > 0:07:33grossly exaggerate what looked like a genuine injury.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Given the statements that Mr Heffer had made to the court,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40and these would have been statements of truth that
0:07:40 > 0:07:43he would have signed and he had directly lied in those, we decided
0:07:43 > 0:07:46that the best course of action was to take a Contempt of Court route.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50And it wouldn't be long before Heffer found himself in
0:07:50 > 0:07:54a dry dock, having to explain his open water adventures.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59So, Mr Heffer was summoned to appear at Exeter Crown Court
0:07:59 > 0:08:00in December 2015.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03He claimed that the surveillance evidence was only really
0:08:03 > 0:08:06showing him on good days, because he'd been taking painkilling
0:08:06 > 0:08:09medication, but if we referred back to what
0:08:09 > 0:08:12he actually told the pain specialist, he suggested that
0:08:12 > 0:08:15the medication was having no effect on reducing his level of pain.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21It had been a very lengthy process to bring Heffer to justice.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26But when the case finally reached court, it was watertight.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30The judge found him in contempt of court and described him as
0:08:30 > 0:08:36abusing the civil procedure rules as a means to obtain financial
0:08:36 > 0:08:39compensation above and beyond what he was entitled to,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42so, effectively, calling him greedy.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45And he was sentenced to three months imprisonment.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49After a six-year investigation,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53it was the result that Rob and his team had hoped for.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57And for those who think what's the worst that can happen if
0:08:57 > 0:08:59a claim is false or exaggerated?
0:08:59 > 0:09:03There are claimants, including people like Mr Heffer,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06that would think that simply walking away from the claim
0:09:06 > 0:09:09is a risk that they are willing to take.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13However, what they don't realise is that there are penalties
0:09:13 > 0:09:15that can occur, including, as in this situation,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18losing your liberty as a result of your direct greed.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29A man hoping to tie the knot makes an indecent proposal
0:09:29 > 0:09:30on his claim form...
0:09:30 > 0:09:34We established that our customer had actually purchased
0:09:34 > 0:09:36a diamond and platinum engagement ring.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38However, he'd actually returned the ring
0:09:38 > 0:09:40and he'd received the full refund of money paid.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44And a passenger's claim goes belly-up after trying to catch
0:09:44 > 0:09:45a moving bus.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48But the amazing thing from this footage is how fast this man
0:09:48 > 0:09:50can actually run in flip-flops.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59In recent years, gangs of organised criminals have naively
0:09:59 > 0:10:03identified insurance fraud as a low-risk way to make serious cash.
0:10:03 > 0:10:04These groups are determined,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07dangerous and operate without conscience.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Among their favourite scams is the crash-for-cash con.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14First, the gang choose a victim.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Then, they move their two cars into position in front of the target.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Gang car number one then slams on its brakes.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Gang car two reacts by braking hard.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Resulting in a rear-end shunt from the victim.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Once the accident has taken place, inflated claims for damages,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36high car costs and personal injury are submitted against
0:10:36 > 0:10:38the innocent third-party driver.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41With an estimated 32 million cars on today's roads,
0:10:41 > 0:10:45insurance cheats have no shortage of potential targets.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51DI Dave Hindmarsh is an investigator with the Metropolitan Police Force.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54It's his job to identify,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58investigate and shut down these types of sophisticated scams.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04In 2011, a wave of calls to the Crimestoppers hotline alerted
0:11:04 > 0:11:07the Met to an alleged crash-for-cash ring.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12The report that we received was that
0:11:12 > 0:11:17a claims management company were arranging and facilitating
0:11:17 > 0:11:19induced collisions within North London.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23That means they were going out and deliberately causing
0:11:23 > 0:11:26the crashes in order to defraud the insurance industry.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Once Dave and his team started to investigate this particular
0:11:31 > 0:11:33outfit, their suspicions were confirmed.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37It became obvious very quickly that this claims management
0:11:37 > 0:11:39company were dealing with induced collisions.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Investigators quickly worked out their operation, and it was
0:11:43 > 0:11:47clearly an elaborate scam involving a large network of perpetrators.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53They would send people out to recruit others who would be
0:11:53 > 0:11:55willing to hand over their cars.
0:11:57 > 0:12:03Once all that was arranged, the gang would go out onto main roads
0:12:03 > 0:12:05and they would look for their target.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09They prefer to look for people who are going to be insured, so that
0:12:09 > 0:12:14is going to be commercial vehicles, people with children in their cars.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20The gang didn't care about who they might hurt executing these
0:12:20 > 0:12:21deliberate crashes.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Only the cash they could collect as a result.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Once the accident had happened,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31they would use their own claims management company to submit
0:12:31 > 0:12:34various claims to the third-party insurers of the innocent
0:12:34 > 0:12:36motorist they had set up.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41We asked all the insurers, had they come across this particular
0:12:41 > 0:12:44claims management before, and then as the insurers started
0:12:44 > 0:12:46coming back to us,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50we identified that lots and lots of insurance companies
0:12:50 > 0:12:56had claims outstanding that all appeared to be induced collisions.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59So, the claims and the cash were rolling in.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02When the investigators followed the money trail,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06the scale of this operation became alarmingly clear.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10It was estimated around £5.6 million that this gang could
0:13:10 > 0:13:12potentially have got away with.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18The gang had been operating their dangerous car con for a while.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20BRAKES SCREECH
0:13:20 > 0:13:23But one deliberate collision would prove to be the breakthrough the case needed.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28The turning point for us in this investigation was
0:13:28 > 0:13:32a collision between a red Mondeo, which was driven by the gang,
0:13:32 > 0:13:37and they deliberately caused a crash with a lone female in a VW Polo.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Because we were made aware of that collision very quickly,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45we were able to liaise with the insurers and follow that
0:13:45 > 0:13:48claim as it went through the process.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Now, in a ground-breaking plan to stop this gang in their tracks,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56the Metropolitan Police and insurers teamed up in a unique operation.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Now, unfortunately we can't disclose exactly how this operation
0:13:59 > 0:14:01worked, as it's top-secret.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05But one thing we can tell you is that with these two working
0:14:05 > 0:14:09as one, it wouldn't be long before the police closed in on the gang.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15One insurer which worked closely with officers was Direct Line Group,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18represented by their Head of Counter-Fraud Intelligence, Mike Brown.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24We were approached by the Metropolitan Police.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Facts were relayed to us.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31And we signed up and worked with them tirelessly for the last
0:14:31 > 0:14:33two and a bit years.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38It would be Direct Line's work identifying and sharing key
0:14:38 > 0:14:42information that assisted the police in investigating the gang.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47The next part of the investigation
0:14:47 > 0:14:50was to work with the Metropolitan Police
0:14:50 > 0:14:55in identifying known locations, claims processes etc.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59The evidence that both the Met and Direct Line were able to
0:14:59 > 0:15:03gather while working together cracked the case wide open.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07We were able to identify who the ringleaders were,
0:15:07 > 0:15:11who the decoy drivers were, who were the recruiters who were going
0:15:11 > 0:15:14out there and finding the cars to be crashed.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18We went to a magistrate and were able to get a search warrant
0:15:18 > 0:15:22to go into the business premises and search for relevant evidence.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25And when officers conducted the search,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28they found a boot full of incriminating evidence.
0:15:28 > 0:15:34We found 316 different files that were clearly induced collisions.
0:15:34 > 0:15:35But more significantly,
0:15:35 > 0:15:41in the wastepaper bin, we found documentation which had been
0:15:41 > 0:15:43original utility bills,
0:15:43 > 0:15:49but the addresses and names had been cut out and new addresses stuck on.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53And these fake bills had a very clear intended use.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58The false utility bills were used primarily to make
0:15:58 > 0:16:01a phantom passenger, so that's a person who doesn't exist,
0:16:01 > 0:16:02come to life.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04By giving them an identity,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07they were able to send all those details to an insurance company
0:16:07 > 0:16:10when they're pursuing a whiplash claim.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13With the evidence in the bag,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16the ringleaders were placed under arrest and taken into custody.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20There were a number of individuals all working together,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23all playing different roles in this particular fraud.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26The people who owned the claims management company -
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Samoon Baryali and his brother.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Mohammad Miah, the recruiter.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36And we then identified the decoy driver - Jalid Hanadzai.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40And then Yousaf Haider, who would deal with the claims.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45The case proceeded to court and the whole gang were found guilty
0:16:45 > 0:16:46of conspiracy to defraud.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51The outcome at trial was that the key players were all
0:16:51 > 0:16:57convicted and their sentences ranged between 21 months suspended,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59for one of the lower players,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01up to the ringleader - five years imprisonment.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07It was the result Dave and his team had been working towards
0:17:07 > 0:17:08for three years.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15It was extremely successful and very satisfying from a personal and from
0:17:15 > 0:17:20a professional point of view to see this organised criminal gang
0:17:20 > 0:17:23being taken off the streets and put behind bars.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27And proof once again that the police and the insurance industry
0:17:27 > 0:17:31are continually coming up with new ways to beat insurance fraud.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36What I would say to anyone who was tempted for a bit of easy money that
0:17:36 > 0:17:40they might see of becoming involved in these type of frauds is, don't.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41If you are convicted,
0:17:41 > 0:17:47you will run a very serious risk of a lengthy custodial sentence.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Now, having your home broken into can be a terrifying
0:17:55 > 0:17:57and invasive ordeal.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00One item that burglars commonly target is jewellery.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03It's easy to pocket and fetches a good price.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07And it would appear that criminal minds think alike, as fraudsters
0:18:07 > 0:18:10also have a penchant for precious possessions, naively thinking
0:18:10 > 0:18:14that submitting a false claim for lost or stolen items
0:18:14 > 0:18:15is a 24-carat winner.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Insurance companies deal with thousands of burglary-related
0:18:19 > 0:18:21claims every day.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24And David Berry of Lloyds Banking Group is
0:18:24 > 0:18:27a master at unpicking any spurious claims.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32His team received a call from a Mr Peter Emiantor,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34who was in a bit of a state.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38In March 2014,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40he called us to report that he'd returned home from an evening
0:18:40 > 0:18:45out with his friends, celebrating his birthday in fact, and that
0:18:45 > 0:18:47when he'd got home he found that his property had been ransacked.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50He was really, really upset on the telephone.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53A devastating loss for Mr Emiantor.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58The goods that he'd reported to us as being stolen were several
0:18:58 > 0:18:59high-valued watches,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01two laptops.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02Most importantly,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05there was a platinum and diamond engagement ring.
0:19:06 > 0:19:12The claim totalled £23,000 and was an especially cruel twist of fate,
0:19:12 > 0:19:14given what Mr Emiantor had planned.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Our customer explained to us in fact that when he...
0:19:18 > 0:19:22His intentions on returning home from his birthday celebrations
0:19:22 > 0:19:25were that he was going to propose marriage to his girlfriend.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29A truly tough break indeed.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32David's team were eager to process the claim as quickly as possible.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36But some of Mr Emiantor's paperwork lacked the ring of truth.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40When they started looking at the documentation that
0:19:40 > 0:19:43the customer had presented us with, they found a number of anomalies
0:19:43 > 0:19:46and they were particularly concerned and unclear
0:19:46 > 0:19:48around some of the description of the items,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50because they didn't match each other.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54And some of the values that had been put against them were inconsistent.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Keen to clarify the discrepancies, Mr Emiantor was visited in person.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04They found that in areas where you would expect someone to have
0:20:04 > 0:20:08significant knowledge of an event, or significant knowledge of an item,
0:20:08 > 0:20:09he was very vague.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14Items such as watches, high-value jewellery, rings and suchlike,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16because they command a high price,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19it's not unreasonable to expect the customer to know full details
0:20:19 > 0:20:23about where they were purchased, how they were acquired.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26This lack of knowledge was a serious cause for concern for
0:20:26 > 0:20:29the claims team, but Emiantor's apparent amnesia
0:20:29 > 0:20:33about one item in particular was shocking.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Our customer also told us that he had been gifted a high-value watch
0:20:36 > 0:20:39by his uncle, who he described as a multi-millionaire,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41but unfortunately had passed away.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44The reason that watch had been gifted to him was because
0:20:44 > 0:20:47he had apparently saved his cousin, his uncle's son.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50The mere fact that he couldn't remember the name of the uncle,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52or the name of the cousin whose life he'd saved,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56and which enabled him to receive that watch,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58was incredulous to us.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Collect laundry, get milk...
0:21:01 > 0:21:03save a close family member's life.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Easily forgettable.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08If that wasn't enough, Emiantor's invoices
0:21:08 > 0:21:10didn't stand up to inspection either.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14When we presented those invoices to one of the high-street jewellers,
0:21:14 > 0:21:16they denied ever having issued the one that had
0:21:16 > 0:21:19their name at the top of it.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22The other jeweller went into a little bit more detail for us,
0:21:22 > 0:21:23and found that there was
0:21:23 > 0:21:26a spelling mistake in the name of their website.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30The invoices for the watches and jewellery Mr Emiantor had
0:21:30 > 0:21:33submitted were indeed forgeries.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35But that wasn't all.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Remember the engagement ring that was stolen before he'd had
0:21:38 > 0:21:40the chance to pop the question?
0:21:40 > 0:21:43We established that our customer had actually purchased
0:21:43 > 0:21:46a diamond and platinum engagement ring.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48He purchased that from an independent jewellers,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50and when we spoke to those jewellers, they accepted that
0:21:50 > 0:21:52he'd been into the shop,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55and he'd paid around £5,500 for it.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57However, what they also told us is that,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59two weeks after he purchased it, he'd actually returned the ring
0:21:59 > 0:22:04to them and he'd received a full refund of the money paid.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07With Mr Emiantor's ring of lies exposed,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10it was time to confront him with the evidence.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13He very strongly denied that there was any wrongdoing.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15He maintained, very robustly,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19that all of the invoices and the documentation were genuine.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23He maintained that the ring had been lost, that it hadn't been returned.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Because he wasn't able to satisfactorily explain to us
0:22:27 > 0:22:30the reasons for all those anomalies, we reported the matter
0:22:30 > 0:22:33to the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Ifed gladly took the case on.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38But despite the overwhelming evidence,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41he still refused to come clean.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43He continued to maintain all innocence.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47A complete denial that he'd committed anything wrong.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Mr Emiantor's steely rebuff of the allegations
0:22:50 > 0:22:52would do him no good.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54The matter was taken to court,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57and after a four-day trial, it took the jury just 40 minutes,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00on the strength and the depth of the evidence,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02to convict the customer.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04As a result of that, that customer is now
0:23:04 > 0:23:07serving 18 months' imprisonment.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Mr Emiantor paid a high price for his attempted deception.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15But his refusal to admit his indecent proposal was key
0:23:15 > 0:23:18to him to receiving a lengthy custodial sentence.
0:23:19 > 0:23:20Some customers,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23even when you present to them the level of evidence that you
0:23:23 > 0:23:25have that challenges their version of events,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28it's certainly not unusual for some people to actually maintain
0:23:28 > 0:23:32their position, robustly defend themselves and strongly present
0:23:32 > 0:23:36that whatever they've told you is the absolute and complete truth.
0:23:41 > 0:23:42Now... PHONE RINGS
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Oop! Just a minute.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45Hello?
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Yeah, hi.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50No, I was riding my bike with no hands,
0:23:50 > 0:23:51I was 11 years old at the time.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55OK, thanks. See ya.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Now, if you've ever had an accident, the odds are you've received
0:23:57 > 0:24:00an annoying call from a claims management company.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03They'll tell you you're entitled to a nice little pay-out,
0:24:03 > 0:24:08no win, no fee, so zero risk to you, whether you're injured or not.
0:24:08 > 0:24:09What they don't tell you is that they'll take
0:24:09 > 0:24:12a fat percentage of any successful claim.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14But if your claim is found to be false,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16then you are solely responsible.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20And while they'll walk away, you could be in serious trouble.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Solicitor Ronan McCann has defended hundreds of cases
0:24:26 > 0:24:29brought by claims management companies.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34Many of these companies who farm claims are not all interested
0:24:34 > 0:24:36in any individual.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38They are solely interested in the profits
0:24:38 > 0:24:41that they can make from your claim.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44They will try all sorts of tactics
0:24:44 > 0:24:45to convince you to pursue
0:24:45 > 0:24:47a claim for compensation,
0:24:47 > 0:24:48irrespective of whether
0:24:48 > 0:24:50you are injured or not.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55You must refuse under all circumstances to cooperate
0:24:55 > 0:24:57with these dishonest companies.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00The approach to persuading individuals into making
0:25:00 > 0:25:05a claim can often be aggressive and persistent cold-calling.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09If you succumb, the consequences can be severe.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12The ramifications for pursuing a claim
0:25:12 > 0:25:15when you are not genuinely injured are stark.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18In the end, you may well go to prison.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22There may be costs orders against you,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25or you may indeed have your home taken away.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28If any individual is invited to make a claim,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32they should stop and ask themselves a very simple question...
0:25:32 > 0:25:33were they injured?
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Tom Gardiner is head of fraud for Aviva.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41He deals with these types of claims on a daily basis.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44But one case wasn't all that it appeared to be.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50The accident that occurred was a relatively minor low-speed shunt,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54at a roundabout, between a small Ford Fiesta
0:25:54 > 0:25:56and a double-decker party bus.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00So, a collision between a compact car and a whacking great bus.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04The traffic accident equivalent of David and Goliath.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06We inspected both of the vehicles.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09There was minor damage to the bumper of the Fiesta
0:26:09 > 0:26:12and only £70 worth of repairs to the bus.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16On the face of it, this was a straightforward low-speed impact,
0:26:16 > 0:26:17less than 10mph.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24But it would have been impossible to predict what was to happen next.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26What naturally aroused suspicion was that,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30as the result of a very minor shunt, there was an epidemic of
0:26:30 > 0:26:34whiplash injuries on the bus, resulting in 46 claims.
0:26:37 > 0:26:3970 quid's worth of damage to the bus,
0:26:39 > 0:26:43but the personal injury claims would amount to quite a bit more.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Whiplash injuries would typically have a value of
0:26:46 > 0:26:48£1,500 to £3,000.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53And with costs, each claim might be worth £5,000.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Clearly, 46 such claims is a significant amount of money.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01And in this case, potentially a quarter of a million pounds.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03It was just entirely disproportionate to what was
0:27:03 > 0:27:07a low-speed impact and £70 of damage to the bus.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10A staggering claim total.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14So, what exactly was fuelling this tidal wave of compensation claims?
0:27:14 > 0:27:17In this case, of the 46 claims that were brought,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21two firms of solicitors represented 44 of the claimants,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24which clearly doesn't hold up to any scrutiny.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28With that many claims and alleged injuries,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31surely the party bus would have diverted to the nearest A&E?
0:27:34 > 0:27:37None of the 46 people sought medical attention at the time.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40They were on a party bus, and continued their evening.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45I'd be surprised if, following a significant collision,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47resulting in whiplash injuries,
0:27:47 > 0:27:5046 were able to continue partying.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53With the overwhelming evidence that this group of revellers had been
0:27:53 > 0:27:58cajoled into a bunch of cheeky chancers, the party had to end.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Of the 46 claims that were made, approximately half of them
0:28:01 > 0:28:04disappeared and went away very quickly.
0:28:04 > 0:28:0723 of them were litigated.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10They started court action, but I'm pleased to say we successfully
0:28:10 > 0:28:14defended those, and they were discontinued or struck out.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17The robust approach to these suspect claims saved Aviva over
0:28:17 > 0:28:19a quarter of a million pounds.
0:28:21 > 0:28:22But for insurers,
0:28:22 > 0:28:24the ultimate goal is to bring an end
0:28:24 > 0:28:27to this compensation culture.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30We will defend fraudulent claims even where it's not economic
0:28:30 > 0:28:32to defend them.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35And in this case, even faced with 23 litigated claims
0:28:35 > 0:28:39and the threat of trial, we continued to defend those.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42And, in the end, the lack of substance came through,
0:28:42 > 0:28:45and none of the claimed successfully made it to trial,
0:28:45 > 0:28:47and we defended all of them.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50There's an important role for claimant solicitors to play
0:28:50 > 0:28:54to make sure that their door isn't open to fraud,
0:28:54 > 0:28:57and they're not advancing what are clearly spurious claims.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Still to come, two men who stage a car crash claim to have never met,
0:29:07 > 0:29:10but turn out to be old prison pals.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12Not only were they in the same prison,
0:29:12 > 0:29:14they were in the same cell block.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16And not only were they in the same cell block,
0:29:16 > 0:29:18but their cells were opposite each other.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21So, they would have seen each other every single day.
0:29:27 > 0:29:28Hey, life is busy, isn't it?
0:29:28 > 0:29:30Whether you're rushing to work, running for a train
0:29:30 > 0:29:33or trying to hop on a bus, most of us spend
0:29:33 > 0:29:36a lot of time just trying to get from A to B without incident.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40Unfortunately, our haste can occasionally lead to mishaps,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44whether you trip on a step or clonk your head on a revolving door.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Most of us hold our hands up and say,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49"All right, I should have been looking where I was going."
0:29:49 > 0:29:53But there are some who see this type of accident as an opportunity
0:29:53 > 0:29:56to exploit and defraud without conscience.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02Lee Ingram of First Group sees his fair share
0:30:02 > 0:30:03of personal injury cases.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10Just like one customer who attempted to catch a bus a few years ago.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14This gentleman's alleging that, as he's tried to get on the bus,
0:30:14 > 0:30:16the driver's closed the doors on him.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19He's also then saying that they've tried to drive off
0:30:19 > 0:30:21while he's still boarding the bus.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24This would be a terrifying situation.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26You're going to be wondering whether you're going to be dragged
0:30:26 > 0:30:29along the road and subsequently dragged under the wheels of the bus.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32The claimant had a relatively lucky escape,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36coming away with significant but not life-threatening injuries.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39The injuries that were alleged by the claimant were quite
0:30:39 > 0:30:42a severe laceration to the leg.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44We could be looking at potential cosmetic surgery,
0:30:44 > 0:30:48plastic surgery, you could be looking at secondary infections,
0:30:48 > 0:30:52may well result in time off work, depending on what he does.
0:30:52 > 0:30:57It's about a £20,000 claim. A nasty cut can produce a big bill.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01But there was something wobbly about the claimant's story
0:31:01 > 0:31:03which Lee just wasn't buying.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07The suspicious thing about this claim is that we don't get
0:31:07 > 0:31:10that many cases where drivers shut the doors on people,
0:31:10 > 0:31:14and it was almost alleged that this was done deliberately.
0:31:14 > 0:31:15I don't think that was the case.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18Most of these incidents occur because people are rushing to get
0:31:18 > 0:31:22on buses, and that's what we suspect actually happened in this case.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26With the claimant making such severe accusations,
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Lee had to get to the bottom of this case quickly
0:31:29 > 0:31:32and find out if he did indeed have a leg to stand on.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35As soon as we received this claim from the gentleman,
0:31:35 > 0:31:38obviously we're going to look and see what our driver has said,
0:31:38 > 0:31:39so we've gone back to the driver,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42taken a full statement of their version of events,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45and we've also gone to look at the onboard CCTV from the bus
0:31:45 > 0:31:48to see if that does corroborate what this claimant is saying.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51One of them has got it slightly wrong.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53But which one?
0:31:53 > 0:31:54Let's have a look.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58What we actually see when we're looking at the footage
0:31:58 > 0:32:03is a gentleman sprinting like a gazelle to try and get on the bus.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06He lunges majestically at the last minute.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08Hold on...
0:32:08 > 0:32:11let's just check that one more time.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16His left foot slips underneath the door, his right leg gives way.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21And he falls backwards off of the bus.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24All gazelle-like comparisons end at that point.
0:32:26 > 0:32:27A bit different to a driver
0:32:27 > 0:32:30intentionally closing the doors on him.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33But the amazing thing from this footage is how fast this man
0:32:33 > 0:32:36can actually run in flip-flops.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39With the claimant's dash for personal injury cash kaput,
0:32:39 > 0:32:42it seems his choice of footwear that day was
0:32:42 > 0:32:44a big contributing factor to his fall.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49The CCTV in this instance totally disproves the allegations
0:32:49 > 0:32:51made by the claimant.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55With the truth caught on camera, the claimant was busted.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58Unlike his leg, which he had alleged had been gashed to the extent
0:32:58 > 0:33:00he'd needed plastic surgery.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07Not a drop of blood, not even a tear in his jeans -
0:33:07 > 0:33:10although he might need a new pair of flip-flops.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14This case resulted in a full repudiation of the claim.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Amazingly, the solicitor subsequently came back to us
0:33:17 > 0:33:20changing their story, saying that the driver should have actually
0:33:20 > 0:33:24seen their claimant, who was at the doors at the time they were closed.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Upon reviewing the CCTV, we can see that when those doors
0:33:27 > 0:33:30were closing, that bus stop was empty.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34None of our drivers are trained to wait for invisible passengers.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Proof that First Group will examine all claims thoroughly -
0:33:37 > 0:33:39both genuine and false.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43I think from this case it's clear to see that we will use
0:33:43 > 0:33:47all evidence we have at our disposal to refute claims or,
0:33:47 > 0:33:51as in a lot of cases, to uphold claims.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59Thankfully, the chances of having an accident on the road
0:33:59 > 0:34:01are relatively low, so what are the chances
0:34:01 > 0:34:03of crashing into someone you know?
0:34:03 > 0:34:05Pretty slim, you'd imagine.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Well, when it comes to scammers arranging deliberate crashes
0:34:08 > 0:34:12to try and get a bumper pay-out from insurers, the odds shoot up.
0:34:12 > 0:34:13This type of fraud is often arranged
0:34:13 > 0:34:16between parties that know each other.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19The first thing suspicious insurers will do is look into
0:34:19 > 0:34:22claimants' backgrounds and establish that all-important connection.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29Susan Evans has seen every type of car con in the book.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35In 2012, she was passed a claim that required her well-trained eye.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41This particular accident, our policy holder, Mr Bougoussa,
0:34:41 > 0:34:45was driving his Jaguar when a third-party vehicle, Mr Chammeme,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48pulled out of a side road into his path.
0:34:48 > 0:34:49TYRES SCREECH
0:34:49 > 0:34:50CRASH
0:34:50 > 0:34:52There was quite a heavy impact.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56Mr Bougoussa had a passenger in his vehicle, supposedly,
0:34:56 > 0:35:00and we were told the damage had been occasioned to both vehicles.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03The claim in total was about £16,000,
0:35:03 > 0:35:07not an insignificant amount, but certainly one
0:35:07 > 0:35:10that we would see on a regular basis.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13On the surface, this case appeared to be an everyday claim,
0:35:13 > 0:35:15but both men were overeager to ram home
0:35:15 > 0:35:18particular details of the accident.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Mr Bougoussa was very specific in his description of the third party
0:35:23 > 0:35:28and was quite adamant that he'd never met him before,
0:35:28 > 0:35:30and the third party, in his description, again,
0:35:30 > 0:35:34was adamant that they've never met and they'd never
0:35:34 > 0:35:37come into contact before or after the accident.
0:35:37 > 0:35:38TYRES SCREECH
0:35:38 > 0:35:41But it would be the condition of their cars that first gave
0:35:41 > 0:35:43real cause for concern.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Our suspicions were aroused as we sent an engineer out
0:35:46 > 0:35:49to examine the vehicles.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52That showed us that the car had not had just one impact,
0:35:52 > 0:35:54that they'd had multiple impacts,
0:35:54 > 0:35:58and also that he was stationary when the accident had taken place.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Strong evidence this was no genuine claim.
0:36:02 > 0:36:03TYRES SCREECH
0:36:03 > 0:36:04CRASH
0:36:04 > 0:36:08With this in mind, it was time to visit the scene of the crash.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11We actually sent an investigator out to look at the junction
0:36:11 > 0:36:13where the accident happened.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17It was a very wide, open junction,
0:36:17 > 0:36:19really, really good visibility,
0:36:19 > 0:36:23it was quite difficult to accept that somebody could have
0:36:23 > 0:36:27pulled out into the path of another vehicle in those circumstances.
0:36:27 > 0:36:32Susan suspected that this could be a staged collision and an attempt to
0:36:32 > 0:36:35defraud Admiral, but further proof was needed to establish
0:36:35 > 0:36:37a connection between Bougoussa and Chammeme.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42So we actually looked into the background of all individuals
0:36:42 > 0:36:46supposedly involved in the incident, and we were able to
0:36:46 > 0:36:49establish that not only did they know one another prior to
0:36:49 > 0:36:52the accident, but that they'd actually been in the same prison
0:36:52 > 0:36:54for a considerable length of time.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56CELL DOOR SLAMS
0:36:56 > 0:36:58With the information that the accident wasn't
0:36:58 > 0:37:01the first time these two men had been banged up together,
0:37:01 > 0:37:04it was time to hand over their investigation.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08We decided to involve Ifed.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Ifed is the City of London Police's
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department.
0:37:14 > 0:37:15A dedicated team of detectives
0:37:15 > 0:37:18committed to stopping insurance fraudsters.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23There's ever more sophisticated detection tools being used
0:37:23 > 0:37:24by the industry.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27We're getting more and more cases every day.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31This elite squad has prevented millions of pounds being
0:37:31 > 0:37:34paid out to criminals in fraudulent claims.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38From now on, insurance cheats need to look over their shoulders.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43It's all fraud, it's all crime, and it can all lead to prison.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Police! Don't move, stay where you are!
0:37:48 > 0:37:51DC Paula Doyle is an Ifed detective and part of the team
0:37:51 > 0:37:54that took on the case.
0:37:54 > 0:37:55Admiral had already worked out that
0:37:55 > 0:37:57both men had been in prison together,
0:37:57 > 0:38:01and that there were major inconsistencies
0:38:01 > 0:38:03in the circumstances of the accident.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07Ifed detectives analysed the evidence,
0:38:07 > 0:38:11and quickly concluded that there were just too many coincidences
0:38:11 > 0:38:13in Bougoussa and Chammeme's story to be plausible.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18The first thing I actually did was to call the prison to ask them
0:38:18 > 0:38:22how unlikely it would be for these two men
0:38:22 > 0:38:25not to have come into contact with each other within the prison.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29Their answer was that it was pretty unlikely, cos not only
0:38:29 > 0:38:32they were in the same prison, they were in the same cell block.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34And not only were they in the same cell block,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36but their cells were opposite each other.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39So they would have seen each other every single day.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42So these two used to be neighbours in the nick.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45Now they appeared to be crash buddies on the outside,
0:38:45 > 0:38:48but they still couldn't get their stories straight.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50An additional personal injury claim went in from
0:38:50 > 0:38:52a guy called Abdul Rahid.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54When he was interviewed,
0:38:54 > 0:38:55Mr Bougoussa couldn't even remember
0:38:55 > 0:38:58what he was called, he called him "Dino",
0:38:58 > 0:39:00and in fact, further to that,
0:39:00 > 0:39:04Mr Chammeme described him as a 6ft tall black male,
0:39:04 > 0:39:08whereas in interview, Mr Bougoussa described him as an Asian male.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13With this third passenger having all the credibility of Bigfoot,
0:39:13 > 0:39:19Paul analysed the engineer's accident report in forensic detail.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23Mr Bougoussa's car, which was meant to have been travelling at 30mph,
0:39:23 > 0:39:25had damage consistent with it
0:39:25 > 0:39:27being still at the time and not travelling.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31The damage on his car was actually overlapping,
0:39:31 > 0:39:35which would mean it had been hit more than once by Mr Chammeme's car.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39The damage also indicated that Mr Chammeme's car didn't have
0:39:39 > 0:39:41its registration plate on at the time.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Which is unusual, because normally when you are out driving,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47you would have your number plate attached to your car.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50And when asked to explain the discrepancies,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53the pair had very different responses.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Mr Bougoussa simply said, "No comment."
0:39:55 > 0:39:57Mr Chammeme, however, had a story,
0:39:57 > 0:40:02and his story was that when he hit Mr Bougoussa, he'd reversed.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Which would not account for two impacts,
0:40:05 > 0:40:08so I didn't believe this was true.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11And I asked him, if that was the case, why did you not then
0:40:11 > 0:40:15have your registration plate attached to your car?
0:40:15 > 0:40:19And he pretended not to be able to understand what I'd asked him.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22Playing dumb wouldn't help the fact that the physical evidence
0:40:22 > 0:40:24suggested Mr Bougoussa had
0:40:24 > 0:40:26intentionally and repeatedly driven his car
0:40:26 > 0:40:30into Bougoussa's, to stage the accident damage.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35Both men maintained that the accident was genuine and that
0:40:35 > 0:40:38they didn't know each other.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41So obviously, I then have to go a little bit further to prove
0:40:41 > 0:40:43that they do know each other,
0:40:43 > 0:40:47and that meant a visit to the prison that held Mr Chammeme's file.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52I did find eventually what I was looking for,
0:40:52 > 0:40:57and that was a document that was from Mr Chammeme to the prison
0:40:57 > 0:41:03requesting that he be allowed to send £100 to Mr Bougoussa's wife.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Despite the overwhelming evidence, the pair were sticking
0:41:06 > 0:41:11to their rather confused stories, and the case proceeded to trial.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15They both pleaded not guilty, but in a little bit of
0:41:15 > 0:41:18a twist to the story, they actually did admit they knew each other.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21Mr Chammeme gave a defence saying,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24"We met in prison, we stayed in touch,
0:41:24 > 0:41:26"and in fact, I was on my way to meet
0:41:26 > 0:41:29"Mr Bougoussa when the accident happened,"
0:41:29 > 0:41:33and the accident was genuine, just an unfortunate coincidence that
0:41:33 > 0:41:37he happened to hit the person he was going to meet that day.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41But Chammeme would soon change his tune.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45I think after making that defence, Mr Chammeme must have realised
0:41:45 > 0:41:47how ludicrous it was
0:41:47 > 0:41:52and promptly changed his mind and pleaded guilty.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57And Bougoussa quickly followed suit, changing his plea to guilty.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59They were given nine-month suspended sentences,
0:41:59 > 0:42:01suspended for two years,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04they were both given a two-year supervision order,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07and additionally, Mr Chammeme was
0:42:07 > 0:42:10ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13They may have narrowly avoided a custodial sentence,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16but they were held accountable for their attempted fraud.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19We never did find Mr Rahid, or Dino,
0:42:19 > 0:42:24and given that the accident didn't actually happen,
0:42:24 > 0:42:26it's highly unlikely that there was a passenger in the car.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28And he's been just invented
0:42:28 > 0:42:33to make more money out of the insurance company.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36Bougoussa and Chammeme thought they were on to a winner
0:42:36 > 0:42:37staging this accident,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40but their shambolic execution was their undoing.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43I think they thought the claim wouldn't get looked at
0:42:43 > 0:42:44and they wouldn't get found out.
0:42:44 > 0:42:49Unfortunately, it was looked at and they did get found out.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53They underestimated the lengths that Ifed will go to, to prove a case.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Insurance fraud in this country costs all of us money,
0:43:01 > 0:43:04but the days of no-questions-asked pay-outs are numbered.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08Insurers are using ever more sophisticated technology
0:43:08 > 0:43:11to identify, track and prosecute fraudsters,
0:43:11 > 0:43:15and courts are using new powers to put these criminals behind bars.